Lucky
by Violet of the Moon
Summary: Benzaiten was the goddess of luck and love. The noblewoman Ayane was her faithful follower. Sesshomaru was the Lord of the Western Lands. Fate was the unpredictable entity that brought them together. SesshomaruxOC.  Set after the series
1. Chapter I

**PLEASE READ: **Hello, everyone, and welcome to my very first Inuyasha fanfic! I'd like to first start by saying that I don't own anything or anyone from the series except for Ayane, my OC. Secondly, I'd like to point out that I'm something of a newcomer to the story of Inuyasha and have the potential to make some characterization mistakes, continuity blunders, and/or information mishaps. So, if you see something that isn't cannon, or if my OC becomes (God forbid) Mary Sue-ish, PLEASE tell me in a constructive review, and I will edit if need be. Keep in mind, I'm doing my homework and trying to pay attention to fully understand the series. Wish me luck, and thanks for dropping in for a read!

**Lucky**

**Violet of the Moon**

**Chapter I**

The sky was spotless that day. Not a single cloud served to blemish the perfect blueness. From her place on the ground, Ayane breathed in the cool, jasmine-scented air. She spread her arms out on the grass and shifted her weight to get comfortable. Smiling, she closed her eyes and let her breath out of her nostrils in a loud _whoosh_. The sun kissed her cheeks and nose. The breeze ruffled her ink black bangs. She could have been thinking, "I am completely at peace", but why should she waste energy when she was so relaxed?

"Ayane, be careful," came Kasumi's concerned voice from her right. "Father won't be happy if you get grass stains on your back."

Ayane opened her eyes and let her head fall sideways. Kasumi was squatting, refusing to let her pristine new kimono touch the grass. The eldest girl giggled and looked back up to the sky.

"Calm down," she murmured. "My clothes won't get dirty... And if they do, I'll just wash them."

Kasumi cocked an eyebrow. "You're in an awfully good mood today. Usually you're so uptight about your clothes. If I so much as get near your new dress after cooking, you'll rip me apart. What is it?"

Ayane closed her eyes again and offered the sky a grin. "Why shouldn't I be happy, sister? The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and the gracious Benzaiten smiles down upon me."

A large shadow loomed over Ayane's face, interrupting the sun's warming kisses. She opened her eyes to see the chubby face of hers and Kasumi's youngest sister hovering inches from her nose. A wide smile was plastered on the girl's face.

"You think She'll help you out, Ayane? Truly?" Rio asked.

Sitting up, Ayane turned to her baby sister and said, "I have reached a marriageable age, and Father has already hired a matchmaker for me. I'm certain She will watch over and bless me with a good husband, just like she did to our eldest sister. After all, why wouldn't Benzaiten help me if she is the goddess of both luck and love?"

Kasumi let out a nervous laugh. "Be humble, Ayane. You don't want Benzaiten to get angry with you for making assumptions."

Ayane smiled and shook her head, but said nothing. Kasumi was such a nervous little thing. Could she not simply be happy that she would be getting married?

As if the younger girl had read her mind, Kasumi began pulling at the nearby patches of grass, and muttered, "I miss Sayuri."

Ayane finally understood Kasumi's strange mood. The eldest of the four tightly knit sisters had been married to a good noble man a few years ago, but the separation had affected Kasumi. Reaching out, Ayane patted her back and offered a sympathetic smile.

"We all miss Sayuri," she said, "but she does visit us from time to time. Take comfort in the fact that she is happy." She paused and looked up to the sky again before adding, "Just as I will be soon."

Rio suddenly fell into Ayane's lap and gazed up at her with round, doe-like eyes. "Promise you won't forget us, Ayane," she begged.

Ayane laughed and hugged her. "You have my word, Rio. I solemnly swear it."

Apparently pleased with the vow, Rio sat back on her haunches and let herself fall onto the grass. Brushing her thick bangs from her little forehead, the girl said, "Tell me about him again, sister."

"Again?" Ayane asked. "Rio, I've told you no less than a thousand times..."

The eight year old leaned forward on her elbows and stared intently at her second eldest sibling. "I know, I know, but I love hearing about him. Just one more time? Please?"

A light breeze dashed over the bluff and ruffled Ayane's long black tresses. Holding her hair out of her face, she looked first at Rio, then at Kasumi, who was leaning forward as well and harbouring a curious gleam in her eyes. How could Ayane deny her sisters one of the only comforts she could offer in light of her unclear future?

"All right, you two. Make yourselves comfortable, because I'm going to tell you every little detail about him."

Rio fell forward on her tummy and propped herself up on her elbows. Kasumi eventually relented and tentatively lowered herself onto the grass, taking care not to shift, lest her bottom be stained. Ayane wet her lips and began her story.

"Now, my husband will be the handsomest man you've ever seen..."

"How handsome?" interrupted Rio. "What'll he look like?"

"Oh, so attractive," Ayane offered. "He will have long black hair, and kind eyes. He will be tall and built of muscle. He will have sharp cheek bones, a strong nose, and a perfect mouth..."

"And what about his clothes?" Rio pressed.

"He will only dress in the finest silks," Ayane answered, "and he will wear the finest tailored obis. He will adorn me with beautiful kimonos, jewels, and precious gifts..."

"He sounds dreamy," Rio murmured.

"Will he be rich, then?" Kasumi questioned, taking to this fantasy.

Ayane nodded. "He will be a powerful lord, Kasumi, but a kind one. He will not hoard his wealth greedily. He will give food to hungry children, and heal injured animals, and act as an honourable man should..."

Rio smiled languidly. Kasumi seemed to relax as well, even as she asked, "And will he love you, Ayane?"

The maiden looked down at her legs folded beneath her, considering Kasumi's question for a moment. Marriage, she knew, did not necessarily result in love. For all she knew, love might evade her future marriage completely; however, she could not help feeling a little bit confident in the sacrifice she made to Benzaiten earlier, praying that whoever her father approved of would love her, and vice versa. Smiling once again, Ayane lifted her head, and looked towards the green and blue horizon.

"Kasumi," she murmured, "he will love me so much that he would do anything, even die, for me."

The three sisters continued to happily describe Ayane's future husband on the grass, completely unaware of the world around them. Caught up in their fantasy, they did not even notice the single white cloud that had drifted into the clear blue sky above their heads.

* * *

><p>Lord Kenji Toyotomi was frightened that he might break down and start weeping before Ayane's matchmaker.<p>

"You're telling me..." he began, "... that not even the Matsudaira family will consider marrying their son off to my daughter?"

The aged matchmaker pressed her wrinkled lips together into a thin line. "I am sorry, my lord. They know that you have become recently... er..."

Kenji threw his hands up into the air and let them fall to his side. "You might as well say it, Yuina" he muttered. "I'm an impoverished nobleman... There's no denying the truth..."

Yuina shifted in her chair uncomfortably and folded her hands on the table. "Er, yes, well... The Matsudairas admitted that Ayane is a very nubile and pretty young lady, but they are very concerned with reputations. I highly doubt she and young Katahiro would have been a good match, anyway. He appeared to be a weak-willed boy with no ambition whatsoever. He would have done nothing to honour your clan, my lord."

Kenji heaved a sigh and placed his elbows on the table. Staring imploringly at Yuina, he quietly asked, "We have approached every clan in this region, and not one of them want my poor daughter because I am a pathetic gambler..."

Yuina shifted uncomfortably in her seat and stared around at the lord's simple yet elegant dining hall. She cleared her throat and began her tentative proposal. "My lord, there is one other option that we have not discussed."

Kenji straightened. "What is that?"

Yuina cleared her throat again and said, "There is a powerful noble nearby this region, a lady who lives by her lonesome in a castle, and she has an only child. Her son isn't married, and he is... er... I _suppose_ he's around Ayane's age..."

A broad smile broke the surface of Kenji's tired face. "Honestly? Really? Ah, Yuina, I knew I could count on you. We must arrange to meet with this youth's mother immediately and propose a union between her son and my daughter... Yes, yes, we mustn't waste anymore time!"

Yuina held her hand up. "My lord, you did not let me finish. Listen, for I must be honest with you. The lady is very powerful, as is her son, but there is one detail about this family that must not be overlooked."

Kenji felt his good mood fly from his heart like a dove from an opened cage. Battling the gnawing feeling at the pit of his stomach, he leaned forward and asked, "Yes, Yuina, what is it?"

Unsure of how to tell the old man gently, the matchmaker began by asking carefully, "Have you heard the name Inu no Taisho before?"

The impoverished lord's face turned the colour of sour milk. After a painful pause, he began to shake his head wildly. "Oh, no... In the name of Amaterasu, tell me you are not talking about..."

Yuina heaved a sigh. "Lord Toyotomi, I know this may seem preposterous, but-"

"You're damn right this seems preposterous," Kenji exclaimed. "You're talking about that dog demon woman that lives in that old castle in the Western Lands, aren't you? Inu no Taisho's mate?"

"No," Yuina said, simply. "I am talking about her son, Lord Sesshomaru."

The sound that left Kenji's mouth was unlike anything Yuina had heard before. It was a throaty choke that appeared to have difficulty drowning a furious scream. Kenji's eyes bugged out of his sallow face, and he slapped his palms on the tabletop.

"Please, matchmaker," he choked, "do not insult me like that. You think I would let my Ayane marry a... a..."

"A powerful demon lord with enough wealth and life to take care of her properly?" Yuina offered sardonically.

"A mangy flea-bitten mutt who's probably waging a war on humanity as we speak!" Kenji spat. "Listen, Yuina, I know the type. Those damn demons look down upon humans and even each other. You can't expect me to give Ayane over to someone whom I think would harm her, do you? Especially not Inu no Taisho's son. The demon was a hell-raiser; I can only imagine his offspring is too."

Yuina shook her head. "Inu no Taisho took a human lover himself, I heard. Do you think that demons are completely incapable of feeling, my lord? I have heard that Sesshomaru can be something of a menace, but he has an impressive pedigree, he's wealthy, and he will bring honour to your clan. Imagine telling your fellow man, 'My son-in-law is the Lord of the Western Lands.'"

Kenji did not seem convinced. Yuina sighed and said, "Lord Toyotomi, what other choice do you have? Ayane must be married or you will be in worse shape than you are now. Besides..." She smiled. "Do you not think that a marriage between Lord Sesshomaru and your Ayane might bring some peace amongst demons and humans alike?"

"And my grandchildren?" Kenji shuddered at the idea. "Where will their place in this world be if Ayane marries that wretch?"

"Times are changing," Yuina said. "Whatever the future may hold for Ayane's children, they will most likely be protected by their father's status... That is, _if _you allow this arrangement to happen. She's your daughter, my lord, but remember, you need a prestigious marriage to help save your clan, and you need one fast."

A loud thump echoed about the room as Kenji's head fell upon the table. He stayed there for a moment, face against the wood, mulling over what Yuina had told him. Finally, without lifting his head, he spoke.

"If Ayane gets hurt, I shall never forgive myself... When can we meet this young lord's mother?"

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Chapter Two will be up soon... <strong>


	2. Chapter II

**Hello, dear readers! Time to continue the story. Let's hope I wrote Sesshomaru realistically in this chappy (laughs nervously). Anyway, enjoy! **

**Chapter II**

Ayane was beside herself with joy. After months of fruitless searching, her matchmaker had finally found her a husband that Father approved of. Seeing her waltzing about the mansion corridors, humming some ancient love song to herself became a common sight for the servants and family members alike.

Not too long after Kenji had arranged the marriage did he called the ecstatic Ayane into his den. She floated into the room, smiling like a fool, and bowed low and exaggerated to her seated father.

"Good morning, my lord," she sang. "Lovely day, isn't it?"

Kenji stared sadly at his daughter. Throughout his years as a father, he never did anything to intentionally destroy his daughters' happiness. Seeing his second eldest child so joyful and knowing he was about to knock her off of her cloud made him feel like a failure as a parent. After his visit with Lord Sesshomaru's mother, he almost instantly regretted the arrangement they made; however, there was no turning back now.

"Good morning, Ayane," he said softly. "Please, sit down."

Ayane settled herself on the tatami mat opposite her father, letting her kimono settle around her in silky purple clouds. She noted that her father wore a grim look on his face, and it threatened to tear down her elated mood. She furrowed her brows, and asked, despite her fear of the answer, "Is there something wrong, Father?"

Kenji heaved a sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ayane, there is something we must discuss. A few days ago, your matchmaker and I found someone that you will marry, and through this union, some shred of dignity will be restored to our clan."

Ayane frowned, wondering where Kenji was going with this.

"Normally, I would not discuss financial matters with my womenfolk," the old man admitted, "but this time, I will make an exception. Ayane, I lost most of our fortunes through gambling, both with dice and with battles."

The maiden's head sunk along with her heart. What was Kenji to tell her now? That he could not afford her dowry? That she would not get married because of her family's financial troubles?

"That is the reason why Yuina had such a hard time finding you a husband- No family wanted to be tied to a less-than-wealthy nobleman such as I."

This came as a surprise. Ayane had always assumed that she went so long without a spouse because most of the young noblemen were taken, or perhaps they did not think her pretty enough. Knowing that everyone avoided her because of a financial issue made her heart sink even deeper.

"Now, don't look so glum, child," Kenji said. "You have a fiancé now. You will still get married, and I will still provide a dowry for you. Truth be told, this family is so rich, they probably hardly even care about your dowry."

Ayane's good mood leaked back into her being, and she was able to lift her head. She smiled at her elderly father and said, "Ah, so he does not care about money, either? How wonderful! I did not want to be married to a greedy man anyway, Father." She sighed and placed her hand on her chest. "Benzaiten really did answer my prayers, didn't She, my lord?"

A long silence followed the young woman's words. Kenji began to rub his forehead and refused to meet Ayane's gaze. Clamping her lips shut, she sat rigidly and endured the agonizing absence of words before her father raised her head. The sad look in his eyes made Ayane's stomach twist.

"Daughter, there was no other option for me," he said, "I have betrothed you to the demon Lord of the Western Lands, Lord Sesshomaru."

Ayane did not move. After a moment of silence, Kenji worriedly prompted her to reply.

"You have heard of Inu no Taisho, haven't you, Ayane?"

"I have," came a hollow voice from somewhere within the young lady. Kenji cringed at the sound.

"Well, your fiancé is his son... His firstborn..."

The otherworldly sparkle that had danced in Ayane's deep brown eyes earlier had disappeared. They stared out of her sockets unblinkingly, two dead things sunken into a pale face. She resembled the gaping corpses that Kenji had seen on various battlefields in the past.

The old man reached forward to place a hand on his daughter's shoulder, "Ayane, my girl..."

"It's fine, Father," she murmured, although she seemed anything but fine.

The young woman slowly rose to her feet, eyes trained on the floor. Kenji watched her sadly, expecting her to run off and lock herself in her room any minute. When she finally looked at him, she asked in the voice of a dead person, "What did you say his name was, Father?"

Kenji raised his eyebrows. "His name? It's Sessohmaru, Ayane dear."

The girl closed her eyes and whispered the name to herself, rolling every syllable off her tongue, emphasizing each letter. Kenji watched her, unsure of what she was doing. Did she mean to familiarize herself with her fiancé's name or with her unfortunate situation?

With a violent shudder, Ayane gave her father a quick bow and swept out of the room. Kenji sat in his place, listening to her run down the hallway. He could have sworn she let slip a small whimper before leaving him with his tortured thoughts.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru stared at his mother blankly, watching her gaze back at him. Neither breathed a word, and Sesshomaru began to wonder whether or not he was in fact still breathing. After the unbearable silence had flooded his mother's courtyard, the matriarchal dog demon spoke.<p>

"Well? What do you think?"

Sesshomaru cast his gaze from her and made a subtle yet disparaging noise. His mother's eyebrows drew together ever so slightly.

"What is that? I want you to speak," she said huffily.

A cold breeze skipped through the courtyard and pushed a cloud into the sun's trajectory. Raising his head, the Lord of the Western Lands barely narrowed his eyes and said, "I think it's a joke."

Jaken, who had been stunned into a gaping silence, sprang to life and let fly a chaotic stream of babbling and limb-flailing.

"A-a human-? L-Lord Sesshomaru marry a _human?_ Why-that's-it's outrageous! Inconceivable! This can't possibly happen! No, it's certainly-"

The unforgiving heel of Sesshomaru's boot suddenly quashed the blithering imp's face into the stone ground. The beautiful she-demon standing opposite her son cocked her head and watched the struggling Jaken with a look of apathy.

"Little demon, I would advise you to guard your speech," she told him languidly. "After all, I am the one who approved of Sesshomaru's bride. Are you trying to insult me?"

Jaken escaped out from under his master's sole and bowed, low and polite, to Sesshomaru's mother, exclaiming, "No! No! Why, of course not, my lady, I would never- That is, I mean, I would hardly-"

Sesshomaru glanced at the grovelling Jaken. A small frown began to tug at the corners of the demon lord's mouth.

"Jaken, go wait by the gates," he ordered.

The imp raised his head and turned towards his master. Knowing better than to ask questions, he gave a curt nod, picked up The Staff of Two Heads and waddled away from the mother and son. Once Sesshomaru's minion was out of earshot, the she-demon broke the suffocating silence.

"My son, I did not think you would be totally enthralled with this idea."

"I am not," Sesshomaru affirmed coldly.

"It is because she is human, isn't it?"

The Lord of the Western Lands hesitated before muttering, "I'm not ready to get married... And, she is barely even my equal."

Sesshomaru's mother crossed her arms and surveyed her son, the slightest of irritated gleams shining in her golden eyes. "That isn't true. She is a noble. Her father may have financial troubles, but she's a respectable young lady nonetheless."

Sesshomaru's eyebrows began to pull together. "An impoverished noblewoman? This sounds familiar..."

Sesshomaru's mother sighed and turned on her heel. She ascended her throne's platform stairs and settled herself into the regal chair. "Is that what troubles you, Sesshomaru? This is a completely different situation than the one your father experienced. This is your wedding, the only one you shall have, and she will be your only wife."

"Humans aren't healthy for this family," Sesshomaru said cooly "With that in mind, I'm sure you will understand why I refuse to follow the same path my father did. I have already told you, anyway, that I don't want to be married to anyone."

His mother rolled her eyes, but her stern expression began to soften. "You mustn't hold a grudge against your father for choosing that little princess over me. Changes in life are to be expected, and I value what we had while we had it. If anything, Sesshomaru, your father's care for a human only demonstrates his kindness and nobility."

When Sesshomaru did not say anything, she added, "What is wrong with her being human? You did not act this way when you had that Rin girl and the skinny boy with you."

"Rin is a ward, not a bride," Sesshomaru said, "and Kohaku was a follower. Again, I will stress that I do not want to be married right now."

The she-demon frowned at him. "You've already denied your mother grandchildren for no less than five hundred years," she noted sullenly. "After having you wander Japan on your own, doing what you pleased, for so long, I feel like I deserve a few brats to spoil. Do not forget either, my son, that you require an heir to inherit your title as Lord of the Western Lands. We demons can outlast lifetimes, but we are not completely invincible."

Sesshomaru almost wretched at the thought of breeding casteless half demons with some whiny, spineless human. Would he have to look after both the children and his wife while he had duties to attend to? What about Rin? Would he be so preoccupied with his new wife that he would no longer be able to visit her in Kaede's village?

Although he did not mind humans too much nowadays, Sesshomaru was still green to the idea of liking them as a whole, and marrying one was definitely a leap. He certainly did not want to be responsible for a fragile noblewoman, nor did he want half breed children on his hands.

"I understand your reasons for disliking this match," his mother murmured, "but there is a deeper meaning as to why I approved of marrying you off to Kenji Toyotomi's daughter."

Sesshomaru gave her a nod, prompting her to reveal her reasons for agreeing to this outrageous union.

Tucking a strand of snow white hair behind her ear, his mother gazed up into the sky, and said, "You have changed so much in a short amount of time. When you used to be slaying armies of humans, hating your brother, and bemoaning your inheritance, you are now much kinder and compassionate, so much so that you've taken a human girl as your ward.

"However, Sesshomaru, there is one step into becoming a truly noble demon that you have not taken yet: The binding of two loving souls that willingly care for and love one another. I don't speak of the platonic love you share with little Rin, or the mindless dalliances I'm almost positive you've enjoyed as a bachelor."

Sesshomaru looked away. "Mother, that's not-"

"I'm talking about the connection that your father and I shared, the one that everyone, human and demon alike, should experience at least once in a lifetime." She gave her son a small smile and said, "Marry the girl, Sesshomaru. Love her, and if you cannot learn to do it, at least protect her. She is only human, a frail little creature. She, and the rest of her race, is especially susceptible to danger and death in warring times such as these. Help guard life and recreate it, my son. Only through this experience will you then reach your full potential."

The sun finally broke through the clouds and threw light across the courtyard. Sesshomaru avoided its blinding rays by training his eyes on his own shadow. "You're telling me how to feel," he muttered.

Sighing, his mother leaned back in her throne. Despite her child's unsavoury reply, the smile that she had offered him began to grow. "Trust me, Sesshomaru, this will be good for you. After all, I _am_ your mother, and you must listen to me..." She winked knowingly at him, "and if I say, 'Get married', you get married."

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks for reading, everyone! Chatper Three will be up soon :)<strong>


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

The kimono was black, made of fine silk, and splashed with colourful floral patterns. The golden obi added to the style, and the white headdress was a flawless match. Unfortunately, the head gear inadvertently served as a perfect complement to Ayane's face as well.

As she watched herself in her vanity mirror, she decided that she had never looked worse in her life. Her face was as white as a sheet, and an excess of white powder was not the cause. Since her meeting with her father, she had barely slept a wink, constantly being awoken from nightmares featuring an enormous, hairy beast with horns and fangs. As a result, her eyes were bloodshot and rimmed with bruise-like shadows. Her brow was taught, and her lips trembled. She could not remember a time where she felt so frightened.

All the dreams and fantasies about her perfect husband had come crashing down on her head once her father spoke the word "demon". Gone were the visions of a young nobleman with a handsome face and a good heart. Now all Ayane could imagine was sharing a cup of sake with a ferocious monster.

She shuddered and forced herself to rise. Taking one last nostalgic look around her bedroom, the young woman opened her door and made herself leave the room.

Father, Kasumi, Rio, and Yuina were waiting outside in the courtyard. Although the day was bright, beautiful, and warm, the sight of the family contrasted greatly with the favourable weather. Kenji's face was ashen, and the bags under his eyes made him look ten years older. Dressed in her formal garb, Kasumi appeared beautiful, although her terror-filled eyes made her look more like a frightened mare than a girl on the verge of womanhood. Little Rio gazed at her elder sister bravely, but Ayane saw that she was trying her hardest not to cry. The only person who seemed unperturbed by Ayane's impending doom was Yuina.

Without saying a word, Ayane joined her family and began on the road towards the shrine where she was to seal her fate.

_This doesn't feel like a wedding procession, _the bride thought, hardly daring to steal a glance at her glum family. _This is a funeral march..._

Once the pointed roof of the village shrine rose in the distance, Ayane was slowed by a heavy weight latching onto her hand. Turning her head, she saw her baby sister clutching her hand, digging her heels into the ground, as two tears fell from her eyes.

"No, Ayane, don't go!" the child wailed. "You'll be eaten up by that demon, and we'll never see you again!"

Ayane stared at Rio. Watching the little girl try to restrain her broke her heart, but how would she adequately quell Rio's sadness if she could barely control her own? Ayane began to feel bitter tears prick the back of her eyes.

Kenji approached his youngest daughter and attempted to release her hold on Ayane's hand. "Rio dear," he began softly. "You need to let Ayane go."

Rio shook her head and tightened her hold. "No! I don't want her to go, Father. I don't want him to have her."

Kenji heaved a heavy sigh and finally succeeded in working Rio's fingers off of Ayane's hand. "That's enough, now," he told the child hollowly. "Ayane will be fine. You will certainly see her again, I promise."

Taking her hand into his, Kenji led the sobbing Rio away from Ayane, shooting her a sorrowful gaze as he passed, and continued to lead the procession. Ayane trained her eyes on the dirt path, reciting a prayer in her head to stop herself from crying.

Much sooner than Ayane would have preferred, she found herself at the shrine entrance with her entourage. The wooden doors were towering, the knolls and stains in the wood glaring down at her. Feeling about as large as a newborn kitten, Ayane fought to keep the world from spinning while she tried to remember what she was supposed to do to get the door to open.

Yuina approached the young bride and laid a hand upon her quivering shoulder. Offering a small smile, she told Ayane, "Take a deep breath", and threw open the door.

The heavy scent of incense assaulted Ayane's nostrils as she slowly followed her matchmaker into the shrine. She almost thought she was moving in slow motion as she passed the decorated columns, the sunlit window, and the hallowed idols. As she made her way towards the main altar, where the priest and his accompanying shrine maidens waited, Ayane wondered if it was simply the heavy incense or if the world really was turning faster than normal.

Whatever the case, the nausea-inducing spinning came to a complete halt when Ayane finally worked up the courage to pick her gaze up from the floor and look upon the face of her betrothed for the first time.

The hulking size, the ferocious fangs, the deadly claws, the matted coat of fur, and the twisted horns fled from Ayane's expectations as if a swift breeze had blown them away. What stood by the altar instead was a surprisingly human-looking young man in a black kimono. Unlike Ayane's dream husband though, he had long white hair, a heart shaped face that bored the marks of a demon, and a straight, dainty nose. His eyes were golden and unfeeling, yet Ayane, even in her fear, could not deny that he was the most beautiful creature that she had ever laid eyes on.

Sitting close by her husband-to-be was an ethereal woman who looked strikingly similar to Lord Sesshomaru. Ayane assumed that the she-demon was her future mother-in-law. Swallowing hard, the human girl began to fear that she would not make it to the altar on her progressively weakening knees. Her fiancé and his mother intimidated her so that she did not know whether to turn and run out of the shrine or beg them not to harm her.

Yuina approached the demons and the priest and gave them a respectful bow.

"I apologize for our lateness," she said. "We ran into a... little bit of trouble."

Ayane tore her gaze away from the demon in black and glanced over her shoulder. Rio was hiding behind the pale Kasumi, peeking out from behind her skirt, biting her lip. Ayane sighed heavily but refused to let the sting at the back of her eyes bully her into allowing tears to fall. The time for tears was over. She was much too frightened to cry now.

"A bride late for her own wedding..." Sesshomaru's mother said languidly. "... I've never heard of such a thing. Pray tell, she didn't get cold feet, did she, Lord Toyotomi?"

Her tone was laced with annoyance, but if Ayane was not mistaken, there was a playful edge to it. Nonetheless, she could not meet her new mother-in-law's eyes, and she dared not even breathe in the demon lord's direction. While her father stammered out a "No, of course not", Ayane dropped her gaze on the floor and waited for the Earth to turn on its axis once again.

Quickly accepting Yuina's apology, the priest, a kindly old man who seemed only the slightest bit jittery about performing a ceremony for a demon, beckoned Ayane forward. Licking her dried lips, the bride stepped up to the hassock and dropped onto her knees before the priest. She did not see Sesshomaru take his place beside her, but she did feel his kimono brush against hers. The slight contact almost made Ayane shiver.

The priest went about the ceremony calmly, purifying both Ayane and Sesshomaru, speaking out in a progressively stronger and confident tone. The shrine maidens who assisted him played music, handed him various holy objects, and echoed his prayers. Ayane was content to listen to the priest and fixate her gaze on the hindmost idol of Benzaiten forever; however, her absentmindedness was fleeting, for after the purification ritual came the part that she most dreaded: The sake ritual.

One of the mikos poured a cup of rice wine and handed it to the priest. He turned his back on the couple, raised the goblet to the idol, and murmured a prayer. Satisfied, he returned to the couple and placed the cup in Ayane's quivering hands.

"Behold the betrothed share in their sake and their life," he announced.

Ayane's palms began to perspire. She had to face him now. Could she do it? Breathing shallowly, the young bride turned her head and gazed upon her fiancé's face.

Some invisible entity kicked Ayane in the stomach and cut her breath off completely. It was as if she had been sprinting, but had collided into the hard mirrors of his golden eyes at full speed. Dizzy, she gazed upon the expressionless Sesshomaru, fighting the tremors that threatened to wrack her body.

_The sake, _her mind screamed at her. _Drink the sake, you fool! _Sesshomaru was waiting. Ayane raised the cup and noisily took a sip of rice wine, wholly regretting the unintentional noise. She tried to wrestle her gaze away from Sesshomaru's impenetrable stare, but to no avail. She lowered the goblet, nearly spilling the damned thing all over herself, and hastily passed it to her fiancé. Before taking a dainty, soundless sip, the demon eyed her like an irritated parent. The look was ever so subtle, but it stung Ayane's cheeks nonetheless.

Things went from bad to worse when the groom was asked to recite his vows to the bride. Hearing Sesshomaru's voice for the first time raised goose bumps on Ayane's flesh. It was as beautiful, yet cold, as a winter's day, and the one sentenced vow he spoke made her cringe.

"I promise to keep you alive."

_'I promise to keep you alive'? _Ayane turned his words over in her mind, staring at him unblinkingly. _Well, that's a relief, I suppose... It's not the most romantic thing to say, but at least he isn't planning to eat me..._

The rest of the wedding was a blur to Ayane. Her thoughts were on the man- or something resembling a man- beside her. She weighed his vow, contemplating the words he used, the intonation of his voice, the monotone that echoed when he "promised" to keep her alive. She wondered about the way he looked at her, the stoic, almost uncaring gaze that she seemed to crash into every time she glanced at him.

She was still afraid of him, she knew that much. He did not turn out to be the ferocious, obnoxious, coldblooded monster of her dreams, but that was what frightened her- He appeared human, but what lurked beneath that marked face? Would she ever see? Was there even something to see, or was he as hollow as his voice?

Ayane could only remember watching one of the mikos perform a closing dance because she came to a sobering realization at that point. Puzzling over her new husband was a waste of time. She was now bound to Lord Sesshomaru for the rest of her life and, whether she liked it or not, would have to learn to deal with being married to a demon.

_I only hope, _she thought, gazing passively at the dancing miko, _that once we leave this place and my family behind, he leaves me alone. _

The song the shrine maiden was dancing to sounded familiar. It was that ancient love song that Ayane used to sing to herself before her father informed her of her husband's race. The young bride let her heart and her faith fall into the pit of her stomach. She did not feel so blessed by Benzaiten anymore.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading! Chapter Four will be coming along... <strong>


	4. Chapter IV

**Hi, everyone! Here's chapter four of _Lucky._ Thank you, Better Known as Anonymous, for the lovely review- It made my day :) Anyway, on with the story!... **

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><p><strong>Chapter IV<strong>

Ayane was expecting to be swept off to a dark, isolated castle as soon as her wedding was over. Instead, she found herself standing in the late evening sun, amidst a heavily forested area, staring at a small, albeit half decent, house.

The dwelling was kept off the ground by sturdy wooden platforms. The walls were also made of wood, and a paper screen door presided over the veranda. The place wasn't anything like the castle she had lived in with her family for eighteen years, but it looked cozy nonetheless. Too cozy, she thought, for her cold husband.

She turned to the stoic demon beside her, who was gazing at the house as well, and summoned all of her courage before asking meekly, "I-Is this your house?"

An indignant voice sounded from somewhere around her knees. "Of course it is, you stupid woman! Why else would Lord Sesshomaru have brought you here?"

Ayane glanced down at the irritating little imp that she had been introduced to only moments ago. Jaken, in turn, was glaring at her as if she had just personally insulted him. The wretched demon was starting to annoy her terribly. She had wondered, when upon meeting up with him after saying goodbye to her family, why Sesshomaru said, "This is Jaken. Pay him no heed." Ayane thought her new husband was simply being cruel to the little demon, but she soon discovered that there was reason behind his words.

Ignoring Jaken's rudeness, Ayane gazed at Sesshomaru, waiting for a reply. He did not look at her as he muttered, "Yes, this is where I live when I am not travelling."

He swept passed her and ascended the veranda's stairs. He gripped the sides of the front door, but did not open it before turning to her.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked. His golden gaze caught hers. "This is your house too, after all."

Ayane gulped. She did not want to set foot in a demon's house. Briefly, she wondered what he would say if she refused entry and asked to be taken back home.

Frowning, she dashed her homesick thoughts from her head and forced her wobbly legs to move. She joined Sesshomaru on the porch and followed him into the house. Jaken, who brought up the rear, made a move to cross the threshold, but Sesshomaru held up his hand.

"Wait outside," he told the imp. "I want a private word with my wife."

Ayane suppressed a squeak. The way he called her his wife made her feel funny, like she was walking into a trap. She could not detect any sarcasm or malice in his voice, but the warmth and amiability she had expected from her dream husband was absent. What was he thinking? What were his intentions? She was quickly discovering that Sesshomaru was a very hard person to read.

Jaken looked at Sesshomaru, then shot Ayane a suspicious glance before muttering, "Yes, milord" and sitting himself down on the porch. Sesshomaru closed the front door, cutting Jaken off from them, and cutting Ayane off from the world.

The antechamber was bright and expansive, surrounded by paper doors and windows, allowing the dying sun to throw its last rays into the house. The simple elegance of the place reminded Ayane of her father's castle. Her heart began to ache until she thought she might tear it from her breast.

"Well, aren't you going to take off your shoes?" Sesshomaru asked her. Snapping out of her thoughts, Ayane glanced at him and realized that he had already kicked off his boots and placed them neatly in a nook by the door.

Flustered, Ayane bent over quickly to remove her shoes, investing too much trust into her balance and her shaky leg. She was about to fall flat on her husband's feet, but a quick hand shot out from the folds of Sesshomaru's kimono and steadied her. His finger tips upon her shoulder sent small lightning bolts racing through her body.

She straightened immediately and backed away from him. She hoped that he would not see her trembling, for half of her fear was of what would happen if she insulted him. What if her terror came off as disrespect? Would he break the vow he made only hours ago and harm her?

He did no such thing. Instead, Sesshomaru watched her passively before muttering, "Try not to be so clumsy."

Ayane nodded vigorously. "Yes, my lord. I apologize, my lord."

After removing her other shoe, Ayane followed Sesshomaru deeper into the house, allowing him to show her the main room, the atrium, the kitchen, and lastly, the bedroom. Here, Sesshomaru, who had been as silent as a church mouse for the most part, turned to Ayane.

"You will live here while I am away. I expect you know how to cook and clean?"

Ayane was born a noblewoman, not a slave; therefore, her knowledge of housekeeping and cooking was lacking. She did not want to anger Sesshomaru with a negative answer, though. She merely cast her gaze from him, letting it fall on the single futon in the room, and nodded.

After a moment of silence, Sesshomaru said quite suddenly, "I did not want to marry you."

Ayane raised her head and made herself look at him. His admission, she could not deny, took her by surprise. "You didn't?"

"No," Sesshomaru affirmed. "I would have been content to remain a bachelor and rule over my land without any interference. My mother, however, had different plans for me, and I was forced into this union by sentimental bribes and parental authority.

"Judging by the way your eyes widen when you look at me, and the way you tremble when I touch you, I would say that you did not want to be married to a demon," he inferred, his gaze testing her.

Ayane was about to deny that she was frightened and loath to marry him, but logic dictated her. He did not want her either. Why would he be offended if she simply agreed with his words? Sighing, she shook her head and muttered, "No, my lord, I did not want to marry you."

"Then you have nothing to fear- We understand each other, now. I do not want you, you do not want me. So, we shall leave each other alone. In fact, I will only be staying here for three more days before I leave again."

A great calm settled Ayane's swimming mind much sooner than she expected. A warm and loving marriage was what she had truly been hoping for with her dream husband, but this demon appeared to want to have nothing to do with her. He was giving her next best thing to a love-based marriage: A disconnected relationship void of any violence.

"Understand, this," Sesshomaru continued. "I have kept humans as company before, but I did not want a human mate. I will treat you with respect, but do not expect fawning love from me." Casting a lethargic look at the futon, he added, "And, I will not lie with you in any other way but to sleep parallel to you. I regret that I must even do that, but there is no other bedroom in this house, and I will have my fair share of sleeping on dirt later."

He did not, in Ayane's opinion, come off as terribly respectful, but she counted herself lucky. Perhaps Benzaiten had not abandoned her after all. Considering Ayane's current situation, the goddess had at least granted her one wish: That Sesshomaru would leave her alone.

"Yes, my lord, I understand," she murmured.

The golden-eyed demon gave her a curt nod. "Good." He turned his back on her and made a move for the door. "Get dressed, now. You'll find your kimono folded up on the futon. Don't take too long in here, though- I need to get out of this wedding garb too."

Ayane watched her new husband take his leave. His snow white hair waved goodbye to her with each step. When the dull thump of the sliding door sounded, something within Ayane gave way and broke up the relief that was numbing her. She thought about what Sesshomaru said to her as she walked over to the bed- her new bed- and picked up the folded dress.

Sighing, she slipped the wedding kimono off of her shoulders and let it pool around her ankles. Still, her husband's words slowly but surely began to eat away at her. As detached from him as she was, the cold manner in which he told her that he did not want to marry or lie with her began to smart.

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><p><strong>Yeah, I know, it was short. My apologies. The next one will be longer, I promise! Thanks for reading :)<strong>


	5. Chapter V

**Hey, guys, sorry for the slow update. They won't be coming as fast because school has started again, but don't worry! I'll update no matter what :) Anyway, here you go!**

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><p><strong>Chapter V<strong>

When Ayane awoke, she did not know where she was. The bed was too hard. The room was too big. Her blankets were rising and falling. Was there someone beside her? She rolled over and started. Indeed, she had forgotten that she was married now, that this place in the forest was her new home, that Sesshomaru had scooted over to the opposite edge of the bed like he did every night. He did not face Ayane either. She was met with the back of his fair head and the _kosode _he insisted on wearing even to his marital bed.

Holding her breath, Ayane made an attempt to sneak out of the room as quietly as she could. Unfortunately, she hit a squeaky floor board on her way out, and when she turned to see if her husband had awoken, one half opened eye watched her suspiciously. She froze, waiting until he let his eyelid drop and fall back asleep. Only then did she hasten out of the bedroom and hurry through the house.

Ayane found her way into the kitchen and busied herself, praying that she would be able to make a decent meal. As she worked, she thought about the three days that had passed since she shared a cup of sake with Sesshomaru.

After she had changed out of her wedding dress, Ayane endured a painfully awkward supper, where she ate a bland meal of leftover rice, and Sesshomaru touched nothing. They did not talk, and Ayane disliked the silence. She was used to the loud chatter of her father's banquet hall, but Sesshomaru would not spare her so much as a syllable.

Ayane gasped aloud as she burned her hand in a pot of hot water. Nursing her scalded skin, she thought about how strange the second day had been. Sesshomaru was nowhere to be found when she woke up, so she spent the day wandering about her new home and imagining what her sisters and father were doing at that moment. She was thinking about how Sayuri and her husband were faring when Sesshomaru finally returned, but he would not tell her where he had gone off too.

The rice balls were a mess. Ayane struggled to unglue the sticky grain from her fingers and started to question why she was doing this to herself when memories from the third day surfaced. Sesshomaru had given her instructions about housekeeping and certain protocols while he was away.

Ayane remembered looking around the large house, and asking for permission to speak. With a note of irritability, Sesshomaru had muttered, "Fine. What is it?"

Gulping, she said, "How long will you be gone for, my lord?"

Sesshomaru cocked an eyebrow. "Why are you asking me that? I thought you'd be happy that I'm leaving."

Ayane bit her lip. "Forgive my childishness, my lord, but I do grow terribly lonely sometimes. I have three sisters, you see, and a father, and many relatives, and I am used to company. When I'm alone for long I become... anxious."

His stare threatened to drive her insane. Why did he not say something? Why was he merely looking at her with an indecipherable gaze? She was quickly learning that she could not stand his apathy.

"Don't be ridiculous," Sesshomaru finally said. "You will be too busy with the housework to feel lonely."

The look on Ayane's face must have said more than her words ever could, for Sesshomaru sighed lightly and said, "Look, if something is terribly wrong, then you can raise a red flag from the roof, and my mother will be able to see it from her castle. She doesn't live very far from here."

Apperently, that was the best answer he could provide. It was quite obvious that he disliked her, and for some reason, Ayane was bothered by it. The world in which she was born was full of hatred and fighting. She simply wanted to be liked by everyone to avoid strife and life threatening situations, and this compulsion did not excuse her demon husband.

Ah, yes, _that_ was the reason she was in the kitchen at such an ungodly hour. That was the reason why she upset the pot of water and nearly chopped her finger off with a cleaver. Hoping she was not making too much of a ruckus, Ayane continued her quest in the kitchen, vowing to finish the job no matter what.

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><p>"My lord, wait a moment! I have something for you!"<p>

The sound of Ayane's voice stopped Sesshomaru on his way out the front door. Jaken, who standing in the antechamber with him, saw Ayane before he did. The little imp's jaw dropped, letting out a strange "ah!", and his eyes bugged out of his head. Curious, Sesshomaru turned to see what Ayane had for him.

His new wife was hurrying towards him in nothing but her nightclothes. In her hands, she carried a poorly wrapped bento box. She was smiling, almost proudly, as she approached the antechamber.

"Merciful heavens!" Jaken cried. "Put some clothes on, will you?"

Ignoring Jaken, Ayane held the box out for Sesshomaru. The acrid smell of burned food attacked his sensitive nose.

"Here you are, my lord," she said. "I thought you'd like some food for the road. It's not much, and I've never cooked before, but I tried my best- The chicken didn't come out half bad!"

Sesshomaru eyed the bento warily, as if a snake might strike out at him from under the folds of the cloth. "No thank you," he said flatly. "I'm fine as I am."

He could see that she was instantly crestfallen. She lowered the box and tried in vain to hide her frown. "Oh... Are you sure, my lord? I'm certain it's not the best food you'll ever taste, but-"

"Ayane," Sesshomaru said, leaning towards her, "I don't eat human food. You've wasted the meal in there on me. All that food in the pantry is for you. Now be good, and don't bother next time, will you?"

"It certainly stinks, too," Jaken commented, covering his nose. "I thought women were supposed to be good at cooking."

Ayane's cheeks flushed bright red, and she gaped at Sesshomaru like a suffocating fish. The look passed as quickly as it came, though, and she hugged the box to her chest. Casting her gaze away from him, she looked like a chagrined child.

"I-I understand..." she murmured. "I apologize, my lord."

Sesshomaru shook his head. What was she trying to accomplish by making him food? When he brought Ayane to his house, all she wanted to do was avoid him, and now she was attempting a kind gesture? Women were simply incomprehensible, and Sesshomaru wondered for a moment why men even bothered with them.

Snapping out of his thoughts, the demon lord rested his hand on his sword hilt and said, "I'm leaving now. If there is a problem, remember what I told you yesterday."

Ayane looked up at him and nodded. "Red flag. Right." She paused a moment before adding, "Have a nice trip, my lord."

Sesshomaru gave her an emotionless "thank you", and turned towards the door. He slid it open, took one step, halted, and glanced over his shoulder. Ayane froze like a doe that had been spotted by a predator.

"By the way, Ayane," he said.

"Yes?" she breathed.

Sesshomaru gave her a stern look. "Please don't burn my house down while I'm away."

Her eyes widened, and she nodded vigorously. "I won't. I promise."

Sesshomaru gave her a curt nod and stepped outside, letting Jaken close the door behind him. Just before the door thudded closed, his ears picked up a small sound from within the antechamber. He turned again, but it was too late. Jaken had shut the door and was now making his way down the stairs.

"Such insolence!" the small demon muttered, crossing his arms. "A woman who can't cook or even get dressed can only mean trouble. You're much too good for that human floozy, Lord Sesshomaru."

The demon lord followed his minion down the stairs, but did not comment on his remarks. Instead, he glanced back at the house one more time, wondering if he really did hear Ayane say in a tentative murmur, "Goodbye, Sesshomaru".

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><p>Life as a married woman became lonelier than Ayane expected. She spent her days taking care of the house, walking around outside, and wondering when Sesshomaru would return. Days were hard, but nights were even more difficult. Knowing that the house was empty when the monster infested world was dark frightened her, and Ayane would usually have to resort to wrapping herself in many stifling blankets in order to feel protected enough to sleep.<p>

A week had passed since Sesshomaru left to patrol his territory, and Ayane found herself sitting in the garden-like atrium at midday once again. She watched the still pond listlessly from her place on the veranda, thinking about last week's events over and over again.

He had said her name. For three days, Ayane's own husband did not address her by any name. But, when she offered him the bento, he had said it easily, as if it were as simple as breathing. She could hardly tell why, but his saying her name had done something to her. She felt a shock of excitement when the three syllables had rolled off his tongue.

The memory made her cheeks warm. The fact that he said her name made her believe she had affected some change in him regarding his attitude towards her. Perhaps he called her by her name because he was beginning to like her just a little bit more?

Ayane shook her head. She had tried the same trick. Calling him "Sesshomaru" instead of "my lord" was meant to be a volley, a way of kicking the ball back into his court. She wanted to prove to him that she, his wife, was an ally. After three days of thinking, she refused to live in fear of her own spouse for the rest of her life, and tried to diminish the air of enmity by calling him by his own name.

Alas, he had not even heard her. The wretched little imp that served him had closed the door as she was saying it. Now she did not know if he would return her gesture with another nonthreatening action or word. If not, she would have to say his name again. Yes, she must get used to saying his name if she was going to make this truce between them work.

"Sesshomaru," she murmured to herself, speaking his name the same way she did when her father had called her into his den. The image of the handsome dog demon flashed in her mind. She felt an unexpected rush from the mental picture that almost frightened her. Still, she said his name again.

"Sesshomaru."

She would become accustomed to his name.

"Sesshomaru."

There would be peace between them.

"Sesshomaru."

Perhaps they could even be friends one day.

"Sesshomaru!"

"Don't bother calling for him, my dear," said a familiarly languid voice from behind. "He's nowhere to be found."

Crying out, the startled Ayane leapt to her feet and spun around. Standing in the doorframe was an exceptionally beautiful woman with snow white hair, pointed ears, and golden eyes. Contrary to Ayane, she was calm and expressionless, reminding the young bride too much of her absent husband.

"Good afternoon, Ayane," Sesshomaru's mother said. "Would you kindly tell me where my son is?"

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><p><strong>As always, I give my thanks to my faithful readers :) Chapter six will be coming along<strong>


	6. Chapter VI

**Hello, everyone! Here's chapter six :) Enjoy!**

**Chapter VI**

The kettle clattered and clinked so loudly that Ayane was sure that her mother-in-law could hear. Catching the top before it could fall to the ground, Ayane froze and listened with baited breath. Sesshomaru's mother, seated in the dining room mere feet away, made no sound. Fighting to calm her jittery nerves, Ayane poured two cups of tea with one quivering hand and set the kettle down slowly. She picked up the cups and hurried back into the dining room where her guest waited patiently.

Ayane set the tea before Sesshomaru's mother and bowed to her. "Forgive me, my lady," she murmured. "I was not expecting you this afternoon- I apologize for being so disorganized."

Silently, she also apologized for the awkward state in which she had been found. Her face burned at the thought of Sesshomaru's mother walking in on her daughter-in-law fervently calling out her son's name when he was not even there. Had she done something to offend Benzaiten to earn herself such ill-luck?

The pretty she-demon offered her a lax smile. "I did not expect you to be guest-ready, Ayane," she said. "Please, relax. I can smell the anxiety on your skin."

She seemed friendly enough, which quelled another one of Ayane's worries. The last time she had seen Sesshomaru's mother, her lateness had been noted. Ayane was afraid her mother-in-law had come to scold her about that, but she had apparently forgotten the incident.

Taking a subtle yet deep breath, Ayane sat opposite of the female dog demon. Neither of them touched their cups.

"Now, Ayane," the demon began, breaking the silence. "Where on earth is Sesshomaru? Don't tell me he's off working, is he?"

Ayane bit her lip and stared at her cup. "Er... Yes, my lady. He left to patrol the Western Lands a week ago. I have not seen him since."

The matriarch's golden eyes narrowed slightly, creating a calm yet cold look that frightened Ayane. "Is that right? Pray tell, why is he not here taking care of his wife?"

The young woman could not force herself to meet the demon's gaze. Her stomach began to perform somersaults. What if Sesshomaru's mother thought her son's absence was his wife's fault? Would she think that Ayane threw him out? Bid him to go? Before the girl could apologize for something she did not do, her in-law spoke.

"You must be awfully lonely here. I am not one to invite myself over, but I will ask you to have me in your house, just this once, until my son returns. I came to check on you both, but it appears that Sesshomaru and I must have more words." She shook her head. "Apparently, he has not learned the meaning of responsibility after five hundred years."

Her face was relaxed, and her voice could have been uncaring, but the serious undertone was unmistakable. Ayane found herself shifting with nervousness. The last thing she wanted was to be in the presence of an irritated demon, but the ethereal woman's intentions unsettled her as well. Why would anyone, except for the meddlesome, come to check on a newly married couple? Did Sesshomaru's mother distrust both of them? Did she think that Ayane could not even handle her own husband?

Ayane stopped her thoughts in their tracks. She reflected on what the past week and a half had been like: Waking up alone, being left without explanation, and having her hard work rejected. A sighed passed her lips. Indeed, she had about as much of a handle on Sesshomaru as she did on cooking.

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><p>Night had fallen, supper had been eaten, and more tea had been made. Ayane and her in-law sat in the atrium, enjoying the summer air. The human was starting to like the lady demon more than she had expected. Sesshomaru's mother was a charismatic and light-hearted being who could hold a conversation better than any stuffy noble Ayane had ever known. In fact, she was beginning to feel, dare she think it, safe in the demon's presence.<p>

Not too long after she had seen a shooting star did Ayane hear the front door slide open. She leapt to her feet, spilling the rest of her tea all over the cobalt stones. Her heart beat wildly, and her first thought was that an intruder had entered her house. A soft, monotonous voice dispelled any thought of an invasion from her mind though.

"Ayane? Where are you?"

The young woman's hands flew to her mouth. "It's Sesshomaru," she breathed through trembling fingers.

The demon lord's mother, who had not even flinched, rose gracefully. "It's about time, too."

On wobbly legs, Ayane, trailed by her mother-in-law, hurried back into the house and into the antechamber. There stood her husband, passive-looking as ever, with Jaken behind him. When his eyes fell upon his mother, the smallest of creases appeared between his eyebrows.

"Mother?" He turned to Ayane. "What's going on? Did something happen?"

Ayane bit her lip. "Er, no, nothing's happened, my lord. I-"

"You're lucky nothing did happen, Sesshomaru," his mother interrupted, standing beside her daughter-in-law. "What would you have done if any harm had befallen your wife? Your vows would have been broken."

Sesshomaru glanced at his mother, then back to his bride. "Did you bring her here, Ayane?"

The woman's insides twisted painfully. "N-no, my lord."

"I came on my own accord to make sure you both were all right," the matriarch explained. "Instead, I found Ayane all by herself without any husband to keep her company or safe from harm."

Sesshomaru frowned. "I have duties to perform as the lord these territories," he said. "You both know that. I told Ayane, as well, to raise a red flag that you could see from your castle if there was an emergency."

The she-demon sighed. "Sesshomaru, we need to talk."

A suffocating silence crashed around them, broken by Jaken awkwardly announcing that he was going outside for some fresh air. As soon as the two dog demons and the human were alone, Sesshomaru's mother spoke.

"You could not even delay your trips by a week to spend some time with your new wife?"

"We do not want to spend time with one another," Ayane's husband said flatly. "My absence was something that my wife was looking forward to."

Much to Ayane's surprise, Sesshomaru's mother chuckled at her son's words, but the laugh carried little sarcasm. "I regret to inform you that your wife has not enjoyed this week." She turned to the meek woman beside her. "Ayane, tell Sesshomaru what you've been doing every night since he's been gone."

Stiffening, Ayane fixed her gaze on her feet and murmured, "I get in bed before the sun sets... and I sleep with many blankets for... er... security." Her face scorched.

Sesshomaru cocked a questioning eyebrow at her. "You are afraid of the dark?"

"She dislikes being alone," the she-demon answered for the girl. "Considering these times, I do not blame her. Remember the conversation we had before the wedding, Sesshomaru?"

Ayane was ready to join Jaken outdoors and away from the tension. Her mother-in-law appeared to be completely unaffected, but the girl was being crushed by it. She was so afraid that when his mother left, Sesshomaru would be angry with her for his kin's interference. Without a doubt, though, Ayane was somewhat glad for her in-law's presence. The she-demon was the only being Ayane knew who held some sway over Sesshomaru's actions.

"For the sake of your vows and your spouse," Sesshomaru's mother continued, "would you kindly make sure that she is all right and settled before you run off again? The poor girl's been practically shouting for your return."

Ayane cringed. She silently begged Sesshomaru not to pursue that point further. Thankfully, he did not say anything at all.

After a moment of silence, Sesshomaru's mother gave them a sweet smile and said, "Well, I think I will leave you alone now. I daresay I've overstayed my welcome. Thank you, Ayane, for your hospitality."

Despite the uncomfortable situation, Ayane could not help but to smile at her. "The pleasure was mine, my lady."

With a nonplussed goodbye, Sesshomaru's mother swept past her son and through the front door. The closing thud resonated through the house, and Ayane found herself alone with her silent, impassive spouse.

Clearing her throat, she murmured into her chest, "I'm sorry, but I did not send for her. She came here by herself earlier today."

Sesshomaru bent to remove his boots, but said nothing. When he straightened, he asked her, "Have you really been so lonely this whole time?"

She nodded.

"Even with your chores?"

Another nod.

Silence.

"Consider yourself lucky," Sesshomaru muttered after a pause. He stepped away from the front door and approached his wife. "I won't be travelling for another little while, so I will stay here." He halted before her and glanced over his shoulder. "Not to mention, my mother's caused enough embarrassment for the both of us. If staying will lay her nosiness to rest, then I will."

Ayane looked up at him. He seemed slightly irritated, maybe even a bit confused, but he did not seem angry with his bride. She could not stop a smile from claiming her lips. Although she had been frightened of him, Ayane decided that being on her own was a much scarier existence than living with her husband. In spite of herself, Ayane was glad that he was home..

"Thank you, Sesshomaru." Saying his name made her dizzy. "I appreciate you doing this."

Without a word, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and headed towards the bedroom. "Do not expect me to always make exceptions for you, though," he reminded her.

He stopped at the threshold, peeked into the room, and looked over his shoulder at her. "Would you please get all of these blankets off the bed?"

Something made Ayane's chest tighten, but she could not identify it. Sesshomaru was merely looking at her. His eyes were deep pools of gold, and his gaze was penetrating. His lower lip, rounded and perfect, protruded faintly in an impatient pout. His demon markings highlighted the valleys and hills of his unscathed face. Aware that she was staring like a fool, but unable to stop, Ayane stared back at him. How funny. She did not admire his good looks for this long even at their wedding.

"What's the matter?" Sesshomaru asked. "Aren't you coming?"

Blushing, Ayane jolted herself out of her thoughts and nodded vigorously. "Y-Yes, Sesshomaru."

She rushed into the bedroom to clear away her safety blankets, still reeling from the fact that, for the first time ever, she had noticed her husband in an aesthetic way without any fear to cloud her view.

* * *

><p>Sesshomaru woke up before Ayane did. He found himself on the edge of the futon again, as far away from the human as possible, with hardly any blankets to cover himself. Sighing, he rolled over onto his stomach and propped himself up on his elbows.<p>

Ayane, he saw, was the blanket thief. She had stolen his covers sometime throughout the night and used them to cover herself from the stomach down. The rest of her body was either on or off of the futon. She was lying on her back with her arms stretched over her head, the backs of her hands brushing the floor. Her head was turned away from him, and her breasts, barely hidden by her opened _yukata_, rose and fell with each delicate breath.

How she had fallen asleep in such a suggestive position was beyond Sesshomaru, but his body reacted faster than his mind could. He turned away from her, rolling onto his side, and pressed his knees together. Other thoughts, welcome thoughts, began to play in his mind. In the early morning silence, he wondered when he would visit Rin again, and what travel route he would take on his next patrol trip.

The reaction to Ayane's pose was slowly but surely fading away, but the process was halted by a small sound. Sesshomaru glanced over his shoulder. Had she said something?

A soft moan escaped Ayane's parted lips along with a murmured name.

"...S...Sesshomaru..."

She stretched her arms and rolled her head, moaning for a second time as she did. The demon beside her could make out her soft profile as she whispered his name again. The silence that followed was broken only by Ayane's deep breathing after that.

The ache in Sesshomaru's loins came back with a vengeance. Sneering at the girl, he looked away from her and ground his knees into each other. The swell between his legs refused to die down. Sighing, he shifted away from Ayane and her provocative position, and her loose nightgown, and her sweet voice, and willed his body not to betray him for a human again.

* * *

><p><strong>That was literally the first "dirty" thing I have ever written in fanfiction XD lol I hope that wasn't too cheesy or awkward. So, how are you guys enjoying the story so far? Do you love it? Like it? Hate it? Let me know what you think :) And above all, thanks for reading! <strong>


	7. Chapter VII

**Hey, guys. Well, it's been nearly a month since I updated, and I'm sorry about that. There was a death in my family, school got heavy, and a couple of other things that delayed the update. Anyway, I'd like to say thank you for being patient, and thank you, cheRRy Koolaid, Clain de Lune, and xYami for the reviews :) Now then, here's the overdue chapter: **

**Chapter VII**

Ayane found Sesshomaru in the atrium. He sat on the veranda, staring at the koi pond with his back to her. The young woman wondered for a moment if he had turned to stone, but as soon as the floorboards creaked beneath her foot, Sesshomaru spoke.

"What is it, Ayane?"

She leaned her back against the door frame. "You're out here all by yourself," she commented softly. The sky was streaked with purple and pink hues, reminding her of the spring _matsuri _kimonos she used to see in her father's kingdom. "Are you always up this early?"

Sesshomaru neither answered nor turned to face her. Straightenin out her nightgown, Ayane approached her husband and dropped to her knees beside him. She waited for the butterflies in her stomach to die before she spoke to the demon.

There was something abnormal about him this morning. The proud, imperative Sesshomaru she had been living with thus far seemed awfully subdued. His chin rested on his chest, and his gaze wandered aimlessly around the atrium.

Ayane cleared her throat. "Are you feeling all right, Sesshomaru?"

The demon did not look at her. In fact, he let his eyes linger on everything in the atrium but his wife, which surprised Ayane immensely. Her husband, unfortunately, was not the most tactful of beings, and often looked at her straight in the eyes when he spoke to her. This extreme politeness he seemed to acquire overnight was deeply unsettling. What was his problem?

When Sesshomaru did not grace her with an answer, Ayane decided to give up on him and began to summon all of her courage for what she would do next. Taking a breath, she opened her mouth and blurted out a question.

"Sesshomaru, will you come with me for a walk today?"

The dog demon glanced at her. "I've been walking for a week straight," he muttered.

Despite his protest, Ayane clung to her desire. "Please? I've done nothing but drift about this house like a ghost since I arrived. My sisters and I used to take walks all the time with our chaperones- Please, Sesshomaru, just one little stroll."

A great silence succeeded Ayane's plea; however, she waited patiently, vowing not to leave until he gave her an answer. Finally, after a light sigh, Sesshomaru grumbled, "Fine."

A smile decorated the young woman's face. "Thank you. It won't be as boring as you think. You'll see."

After serving herself some breakfast and getting dressed, Ayane met her husband on the porch. The pink and purple dawn had grown into a mature azure sky. The sun illuminated Sesshomaru's soft face, making him look as handsome as ever, and Ayane simply stared, hardly aware of what she was doing before the demon said something.

"Didn't your mother ever tell you it was rude to stare?"

Blushing, Ayane dropped her gaze. "I'm sorry." She let awkwardness saturate the silence before she asked, "Shall we go?"

Sesshomaru nodded. "Yes."

The human and the demon strolled down the porch steps and into the woods surrounding Sesshomaru's house. The trees' green leaves were in full bloom, and the scent of flowers hung in the air. Memories of running through the forests on her father's lands with her three sisters flooded Ayane's mind. When her eyes began to sting, she rushed to start a conversation with her silent, stoic companion.

"Pray tell, where is that little imp that's always trailing after you?" she asked too suddenly.

"When I come home, Jaken goes back to his own village for some time. He's a mere fifteen minutes from here."

The thought of having that little monster so close to her home put Ayane off. She was wondering how she could keep him out of the house when he came to meet Sesshomaru for their next voyage when her husband's voice caught her attention.

"Don't grimace, Ayane," he told her. "I told you to pay him no mind."

She looked at him and felt her face grow warm once again. "Ah... Yes, of course... Sorry..."

The conversation evaporated once again, and only the pattering of Ayane's and Sesshomaru's feet could be heard. The young woman tried in vain to find something to talk about, but only one topic seemed suitable to voice. Eventually, she relented.

"I used to walk with my sisters all the time."

"Yes, you've mentioned that many times, now," Sesshomaru said passively. "You three seem to be very close."

"Four," Ayane corrected him. "There are four of us- My eldest sister, Sayuri, is already married."

Not a moment too long passed before Ayane prompted, "What about you, Sesshomaru? Do you have any family aside from your mother?"

Sesshomaru did not speak. Ayane glanced at him and found his gaze on everything else but her again. The politeness was flattering, but in a funny way, Ayane was beginning to get annoyed with his new manners. Why did he not just look at her?

"I have one other person that I am bound to by blood," he affirmed finally.

"Who?" Ayane pressed.

Sesshomaru hesitated. "A half brother."

Ayane smiled and clapped her hands together. "A brother! Oh, how wonderful- I always wondered what it would be like to have a brother... Father used to say he needed a son to carry on his name, but we girls were his blessings anyway... What is your brother's name, Sesshomaru?"

Another pause followed his words. "It's not important."

Sesshomaru did not notice that Ayane had stopped walking until he was five steps ahead of her. He turned and found her standing rigidly still, hands folded over her skirt, head bowed. Sighing, he turned on his heel and approached her.

"Ayane?" he asked. "What are you doing?"

The woman mumbled something inaudible into her chest. Sesshomaru leaned forward.

"I can't hear you."

Ayane's words were still indiscernible even when she spoke louder. Impatience trumped forethought, and before he could stop himself, he reached out and gently grasped a hold of her chin. Some vital organ within him twisted, but it was too late now. Committed to following through with the action, Sesshomaru lifted Ayane's head for her, only to be met by a stunned face with a pair of sad eyes and parted lips.

"Speak up," he commanded softly.

Her skin grew warm as her mouth moved soundlessly for a moment. She was just as aware of what was going on as he was- Sesshomaru was touching her for the first time.

Well, what did she expect when she was speaking so unclearly? Did Ayane want him to ask "what?" a dozen times? Perhaps raising her head for her would teach her a lesson in articulation.

And yet, despite these explanations, some dark and deeply hidden part of Sesshomaru willed Ayane to stay silent so that his fingers may not leave her face so soon. Unfortunately, the woman had a quicker tongue than expected.

"I-I just... I feel- er... bad, I suppose b-because you won't... you won't tell me the name of your brother, is all..."

Sesshomaru furrowed his brow. She was upset because he would not name his kin? What sort of basis for sadness was that? Frowning, he pulled his fingers from his wife's face and asked, "Is that really all?"

Ayane stared at an oak sapling at the side of their path. "Well... we are married, aren't we, Sesshomaru?"

His spine stiffened. "Yes."

"And, I... I know this union is void of love"- she but breathed the word- "but I do believe it is important to be honest with each other. After all, we respect one another, right?"

"Yes."

Her throat contracted with a nervous gulp. "And, I, personally, believe honesty is a very, um... vital part to any sort of relationship. Th-that's why I feel... sad."

Sesshomaru finally understood. Ayane equated honesty with respect, and his refusal to name his half brother made her feel disrespected and isolated. He instantly thought that she was being ridiculously overemotional, but after some consideration, he decided it was easier to appease her than fight with her.

"Inuyasha."

She finally looked at him. "What?"

Sesshomaru repeated, "That's my half brother's name."

The simple woman stared at him like a stunned goat for a minute. Why was she acting so strangely today? Finally, a small smile broke the surface of her face.

"Inuyasha... That's a nice name."

Sesshomaru eyed her. "It's a name... Nothing more, nothing less."

He was met with a shrug. "You'd be surprised- Names carry meaning, you know." Ayane swept past Sesshomaru and started off on the path once again. Without following her, he watched her as she began to ramble on about names.

"My name was chosen for a reason, Rio's and Kasumi's as well- Sayuri too. I bet there's a reason for your name too, Sesshomaru. I just find the meaning of names so-"

Ayane was not given time to finish her thought. Distracted as she was, she was not paying attention to her surrounding and stepped on the soft ground off the path. The earth beneath her feet gave way, and before Sesshomaru could warn her, Ayane tripped over the ravine precipice. The last thing Sesshomaru saw of her before she fell was terror in her wide brown eyes. A shrill scream was followed by a loud splash.

Wasting no time, Sesshomaru rushed to the edge and peered over the side. Luckily for Ayane, the ravine was not steep, but she had fallen into the shallow brook that lay within the small valley.

Ayane laid spread eagle on her back in the stream, the running water dancing over her. Sesshomaru heard a small groan escape her parted lips.

Sighing, he jumped off the high ground and landed softly on the bank. He straightened and watched her as she sat up. A look of embarrassment and worry played over her soft face.

"You shouldn't have walked that far off the path," he told her matter-of-factly. "The ground at this time of year isn't stable."

Ayane raised her eyes and shot him a look that told him that chastisement would simply make her feel worse, but she didn't say anything.

What a mess she was! Her black tresses were dripping, and some strands were plastered to her face, rosy with humiliation. Her bodice had been soaked, the heavy silk clinging to her body, outlining the swells of her breasts. Sesshomaru tore his gaze from her chest before he had to endure yet another masculine reaction, but staring at her lower half proved to be worse: The fall and the devilish current had swept her skirts high upon her thighs, exposing her creamy white legs, one of which the ankle seemed to be twisted slightly. The troublesome lust left Sesshomaru in an instant.

"Are you hurt?" he asked, eyeing her leg .

Ayane heaved a sigh and made a move to get up. A sharp cry echoed throughout the forest.

"My ankle," she groaned through gritted teeth. "It hurts."

Aside from the time where he first met Rin, Sesshomaru had never seen such a pitiful scene. Sighing, he waded into the stream and approached Ayane. He dropped to his knees, ignoring the chill of the water, and looked her in the eyes.

"Let's go home."

Ayane gazed at him as a droplet of water dripped from the tip of her nose and ran over her lips. Sesshomaru was seized with the sudden urge to wipe it away, but he restrained himself. Instead, he took a hold of the young woman's arms and wrapped them around his neck. Next, he plunged his hands into the stream and wrapped them around her waist and knees. As gently as he could, he lifted her out of the stream.

"Th-thank you, Sesshomaru," Ayane murmured. She heaved a sigh and rested her head against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I should have looked where I was going- _Ow!_"

"Don't move your leg too much," Sesshomaru told her. "You twisted your ankle. It might be painful enough to deal with my movements, so don't squirm even more and make it harder on yourself."

Ayane nodded and tightened her hold on the demon. He tried to ignore the acrobatics his insides performed at her touch and leapt up the ravine with her. Once on the path, he headed home, cradling the silent girl in his arms and forcing his gaze to remain on the horizon. Only when his house was in sight did Ayane lift her head and speak.

"I sure am lucky you were around, aren't I?" she asked. "Who knows how long I would have been stuck down there if I was alone."

Sesshomaru glanced at her and was surprised to see that she was smiling. For the first time since they had been married, she was smiling for him. Despite of her injury and the embarrassment she suffered, she still had the good humour to express her happiness with him.

Something in Ayane's face affected a change in Sesshomaru. And, in spite of his own reservations, the powerful demon lord of the Western Lands could not help smiling- just a little bit- back at her.

* * *

><p><strong>For anyone who didn't get the part where Sesshomaru avoids Ayane's gaze, Japanese tradition states that it's rude to make eye contact with someone for too long. Anyway, thanks for reading! :D <strong>


	8. Chapter VIII

**Hey, guys, I finally found some time to finish this chapter up! I know I've been neglecting you dear readers, but hopefully the length of this chapter (and it's content ;)) will make up for it. Enjoy the eighth installment of _Lucky_! **

Chapter VIII

After her embarrassing fall down the shallow ravine, Ayane did not walk for a week. Instead, she kept to either the atrium or the bedroom. Her leg was constantly propped up on heaps of pillows and blankets, and her ankle was always sore.

She did not know where she would be without Sesshomaru.

As grudging as he was, Ayane's husband took care of her to the best of his ability during her immobile state. He helped elevate her foot, gave her cool compresses to bring down the swelling, and even brought her back various nuts, berries, and roots he found in the forest. Ayane assumed he did this because she needed food to survive and he did not know how to cook, but she appreciated his effort none the less.

Not too long after she twisted her ankle, Ayane had coaxed Sesshomaru into coming to visit her and keep her company when she was not dozing, reading, or pretending her ankle was fine. Depending on where she had planted herself for that day, he would either sit beside the futon or next to her on the porch, and they would simply talk.

Conversation was becoming progressively easier to make. After her strange fuss she over Inuyasha's name, Sesshomaru had learned better than to avoid answering trivial yet somewhat personal questions. Still, Ayane could tell that when he changed the subject, he did not wish to dwell on the topic, and she let him be. A woman could only push a man so far.

Nights were harder on the girl. She could not sleep on the very edge of the bed anymore. Ayane had to lie on her back and keep her foot up, which meant she had to sleep a bit closer to Sesshomaru. He would give her more space than she needed, scooting over to his side as far as the mattress would allow and sleeping with his back to her. Much to Ayane's annoyance, he still wore a _kosode_.

She lay in bed one night, trying to sort her thoughts and feeling about the stupid garment while her husband slept soundly beside her. What was it about the undershirt she disliked? Was it its bland plainness? Was it the fact that it rustled every time Sesshomaru moved? She sighed and glanced at the demon.

He was on his side again. The moonlight streaming in through the paper windows cast a soft glow about his broad shoulders and motionless head. Gazing sadly at him, Ayane heaved a sigh and whispered, "It's the fact that you _wear _it." Whether the admittance was to herself or to him remained a mystery even to her.

The blankets twitched, and Ayane watched in horror as Sesshomaru rolled over to face her. His golden eyes were as sharp as ever, but sleep weighed his eyelids down, exposing the red markings upon the delicate skin.

"You're talking in your sleep again, Ayane," he murmured softly.

Ayane furrowed her brow. "I talk in my sleep?"

The demon closed his eyes and nodded. When his lips no longer moved, Ayane ventured, "Sesshomaru, I'm obviously not asleep..."

The dog demon opened one eye. "At this time of night, it's hard to tell." After a pause he added, "You should be asleep. Rest speeds recovery."

Ayane nodded, willing her heart to stop pounding so hard. "Y-Yes, I should... I will work on that."

Sesshomaru muttered, "Good" and closed his eyes once again. Ayane was about to ask him what sorts of things she talked about in her sleep, but she did not wish to wake him once again. Instead, she relished in the fact that he did not turn his back on her after speaking. He slept soundly, facing her, allowing her to gaze upon his handsome countenance for as long as she pleased.

A strange squeak escaped her lips when Ayane realized what she was doing. Sighing, she turned her face from Sesshomaru's and willed herself to sleep.

_Benzaiten, what is happening to me?_

* * *

><p>After a week of rest, Ayane was able to walk about the house, albeit with a limp. At least she was able to keep the house running when Sesshomaru was gone once again.<p>

Yes, her husband had been flitting in and out of the house as of late. He claimed his absence was not work related, but he would not tell Ayane where he kept going. His absences bothered the young woman a little bit, but she tried not to let it bother her too much. As long as Sesshomaru was home for their bedtime, she vowed not to worry.

He did come home late one night, though. She had stayed up waiting for him, wondering where he could be and worrying about him. Ayane was considering raising the red flag to alert her mother-in-law when she finally heard the front door slide open. Drawing an excited breath, she leapt off of the bed and hurried into the antechamber to meet her husband. The sight stopped her in her tracks.

Sesshomaru was standing by the door in the worst shape she had ever seen him in. He tried to hide behind his bangs, but Ayane could see that his cheek was bruised and his lip was cut. The torn kimono and dirt-stained pants were not something he could easily hide either.

"Gods above, what happened to you?" Ayane cried. She rushed to her husband and leaned over to see his face. He jerked away from her, still hanging his head.

"Nothing," he muttered. "On my way back I found a rogue demon trespassing on my lands."

Ayane's stomach churned. "Was he close to the house? Did he hurt you badly?" She raised a trembling hand to his face and pushed his bangs away gently to examine his bruise. "Oh, Sesshomaru..."

The demon lord raised his head and kicked off his boots. "It's nothing, Ayane, and certainly not something for you to get so upset about. No, the demon was not close to home, and no, I am not hurt badly."

The young woman furrowed her brow. "What are you talking about? You're bruised and you're cut! Just look at the-"

Her words were drowned by a stunned silence. She had looked back at his face again. Amazingly, the bruise was fading before her very eyes, and the cut no longer seeped. Sesshomaru gave her an exasperated look.

"I told you I wasn't hurt," he said.

Ayane lowered her gaze and blushed. Of course. She should have guessed that self healing was the secret to Sesshomaru's immortality, but how could he blame her for worrying?

She stared for a moment longer, unable to break the daze he had ensnared her in. After shaking her head clear, she murmured, "Well, you're not tracking dirt into the house after I spent all day cleaning it."

Before her husband could speak, Ayane turned on her heel and marched off. "I'll be back- Wait there."

The young woman made her way into the kitchen and grabbed the nearest bowl she could find. She filled it with the left over cooking water, threw a rag into it, and carefully made her way back into the atrium. She did not look at Sesshomaru's face as she approached him.

"I'm to clean up before I set foot in my own home..." he muttered, sounding agitated. Ayane paid his tone no heed.

"Sit," she said.

Sesshomaru eyed her. "What?"

She finally raised her head and gulped. Whoever had graced her with this confidence was a cruel being, for as soon as Ayane fashioned her gaze on the puzzled demon, her knees grew weak. Taking a breath, she forced herself to speak.

"I told you to sit, Sesshomaru," she said. When he neither sat nor spoke, she blurted, "You've been gone all day, and you've returned from a fight..." Her mouth went dry. "Let me do it for you... Clean you up, I mean... You look tired... Please?"

Sesshomaru stared at her. Ayane waited for a protest, a command to either hand him the makeshift washbasin or go dump the water outside. Much to the lady's surprise neither happened. Sesshomaru merely dropped his gaze and swiftly settled himself on the floor before the front door.

"Are all women as strange as you?" he asked.

Ayane started. "I'm not strange! I'm trying to take care of you."

With a huff, Ayane plunked herself down before her husband and rung the rag out in the bowl. With a trembling hand, she pushed the long white tresses from Sesshomaru's face and raised the cloth. She pressed the rag to his cheek and gently swiped away a smudge of dirt.

"You're acting differently tonight," Sesshomaru noted. He glanced at the washbasin. "Why are you trying to take care of me? Mothers do this for their children, Ayane..."

The girl lowered her rag and said nothing. How did Sesshomaru want her to reply? Should she tell him that she merely wanted to do something nice for him? That she was frustrated that he kept fighting her on her good deed? That "taking care of him" was the result of the frightening loniness she always felt when he was gone? When her cheeks began to burn, she considered pressing the rag to her own face.

Softly, Ayane asked, "Where were you, Sesshomaru?"

She watched him close his eyes as she gently dabbed the leftover blood on his lip. "I was closer to home than you think."

Her husband's avoidance of the question irritated Ayane, but she quick tamped the spark out. He was a demon used to wandering in solitude. Perhaps some time away from home was what he had needed.

As Ayane softly brushed the cloth over Sesshomaru's marked forehead, she rejoiced in the gentle grip her other hand had on his bangs. The giddiness she felt from tangling her fingers into his fine mane of hair almost alarmed her, but she did not care. Watching him willingly let her touch him excited her in the strangest of ways.

When she lowered her rag, Sesshomaru opened his eyes. "It's late. Were you planning on staying awake until I returned?"

Gazing into the bowl, Ayane nodded and murmured, "Yes."

"Why?"

She did not speak before she finished wiping a streak of dirt from her husband's throat, for she did not trust her own voice for a moment. She murmured so low she almost whispered.

"I missed you."

Sesshomaru looked at her, catching Ayane in an ironclad gaze. She neither moved nor looked away from him. Though her heart was beating quicker than usual, Ayane's hand remained pressed to Sesshomaru's collarbone, the last place she had bathed clean of dirt.

If there was ever a time that Ayane wished her husband's gaze was slightly more readable, it was that night when she had sat him down and bathed him before his own front door. What was he thinking while he stared at her? Why did he not let emotion- any emotion- show through? With blushing realization, Ayane found herself desperate to evoke some sort of feeling within Sesshomaru, preferably a positive emotion.

After a moment of silence, Sesshomaru shook his head. "You never listen to me when I tell you to rest..." he said flatly.

With a graceful gesture, the demon raised his hand and cupped Ayane's cheek. Dumbstruck, the young lady allowed her lips to part in dismay as he began to gently stroke the hollow beneath her eye with his thumb, cautious of his claw's proximity to her eye.

"... And now these sleepless nights are beginning to show on your face," he murmured.

Ayane gaped at him, unsure of what to do or say. Sesshomaru had touched her face before, but never like this, and never for this long. She gripped her cloth tightly, wringing out droplets of water that ran down the demon's chest and dampened his shirt.

"S... Sesshomaru...?" she squeaked.

The demon's gaze remained fixated on her. The stroking eventually stopped, but Sesshomaru's hand remained at Ayane's cheek, touching and pressing the skin lightly, almost in a tender way.

An exhilarating idea rushed from Ayane's mind and flowed through her whole body, alighting her every nerve, shaking her down to her very core. Instinctual impulse triumphed over everything else in her mind, and before she could cage whatever commonsense she retained, an unspeakable want pulled Ayane forward and drew her lips against Sesshomaru's.

His mouth was soft, smooth, and, like hers, unmoving. The young lady, who had never kissed or been kissed before, froze with uncertainty. Eventually, the desire that had pulled her onto her husband slowly coaxed her to move her mouth and slip her little tongue between his teeth.

Amazingly, Sesshomaru responded to Ayane's advances. His hand remained at his wife's cheek, and he calmed nibbled on her lower lip, enciting a soft moan from her.

When they broke away, Ayane found her mind void of thought. She simply stared, a breath away from Sesshomaru's stoic face. Fire burned in her chest and spread through her body, attacking a place she hardly knew existed. She almost gasped aloud, compltely taken by the new feeling. For the first time in her life, Ayane found herself wanting for another.

As beautiful as the sensation was, the passionate fire was quickly doused when thought returned to Ayane's mind. What had she done? There she was, sitting on the floor, throwing herself at a _demon. _During these past weeks, she has forgotten that humans and demons were supposed to despise each other. Why did she let this happen? Had she betrayed her own kind by kissing Sesshomaru? Worst of all, Ayane could not explain why she even wanted to kiss him.

Sesshomaru said nothing as Ayane gaped at him, but he did notice that she began to tremble. Before he could ask her what was wrong, Ayane snatched her hand from his chest and threw the rag into the nearby bowl. With quivering lips, she stammered, "I-I'm sorry."

The young woman stared for a second longer before she scrambled to her feet in a panic. She knocked over the wash basin but was too frantic to consider cleaning up the spill. Instead, she threw open the front door and took off into the night without saying a word to her motionless and silently astounded husband.


	9. Chapter IX

**Hey everyone, thanks for being so patient and thank you for the reviews. Here's the next chapter! Enjoy :)**

**Chapter IX**

Sesshomaru found Ayane sitting by the stream not too far from the house. He did not approach her immediately, but instead watched her silently gaze at the moon's reflection on the dancing water. She was hunched over and motionless, her knees drawn up to her chest.

The happenings at the house moments earlier had left Sesshomaru about as stunned as his wife. Three years prior, if anyone had dared to give him commands, stop him from setting foot in his own house, or had the audacity to touch him as Ayane did, he would have left his mark- a nasty, bloody, swollen one- upon them.

The thought of punishing Ayane in such a way repelled him, which was probably why he had let her bathe him.

Probably.

Sesshomaru did not feel like dwelling on his own feelings at that moment. He hardly wished to admit it to himself, but they began to concern him when he saw Ayane rush to meet him when he returned. The feelings grew even more troublesome when he learned that she had stayed up all night waiting for him, and that she was (whether she knew it or not) so desperate to gain his affection that she insisted on bathing him.

The image of Ayane's face, seconds before she boldly kissed him, flashed in his mind. His lips grew warm, reminiscent of her mouth against his, and, for but an instant before his mind killed the sensation, his body ached for hers.

Most of the time, he could ignore his feelings, but Ayane seemed to be tearing down that ability, slowly but surely.

Abandoning all emotion as best as he could, he approached his still, pensive spouse and halted some feet away from her.

"Ayane?" he called softly.

The young woman did not turn around right away, but when she did, Sesshomaru was surprised to see that her expression was blank. Emotional, dramatic Ayane was suddenly a clean slate, her face void of any sentiment at all. The turmoil, Sesshomaru guessed, was hidden within.

Slowly, Ayane rose to her feet and approached him. She hung her head and clasped her hands together. Was she feeling ashamed for what she did? Before Sesshomaru could think of anything to say, the girl lifted her head and gazed at him with a sudden intensity in her eyes that Sesshomaru was momentarily taken aback, though he did not show it.

"Sesshomaru," she murmured emphatically,"I must see my sisters."

This was certainly not the response the demon had been expecting. He furrowed his brow. "Your sisters?"

Ayane nodded vigorously. "Yes. Sayuri too. Especially Sayuri." She lowered her gaze for a moment, pondering her next request, before asking, "Would you do that for me? Will you let me receive them here? Please?"

The demon lord was unsure of how to respond. He was positive that Ayane would have finally showed him the heart she always wore upon her sleeve and told him exactly what she felt for him. Perhaps, like him, she did not want to examine her feelings. There again, maybe that was what she was doing on her own. Sesshomaru was loath to think it, but he could not help feeling disappointed with Ayane's avoidance of the topic.

Still, he had to give her a reply. Hiding his chagrin behind a carefully constructed mask, he said calmly, "I leave tomorrow to patrol the Western Lands again. You may see your sisters then."

Ayane nodded her approval and gave him a crooked smile.

"Thank you," she whispered.

With that, she limped- no doubt hurt from running on a barely healed ankle- back to the house. Sesshomaru stared after her, trying not to feel jealous that she would rather confide in her sisters than him.

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><p>Ayane was haunting the antechamber, peeking out of the door periodically in search of any sign of her sisters.<p>

Last night had been a blur, yet vivid images played throughout her mind all day. She could not forget the kiss she had given Sesshomaru, nor the way he reacted with such composure, nor the dormant emotions the kiss had awoken within her.

She decided, sitting by the little stream last night, that she needed the company and counsel of her dear siblings. There was so much she needed to tell them, and so much she wanted explained.

Mercifully, when Ayane glanced out the door one last time, she saw a band of three girls making their way through the forest and up to her house. One of the girls was a small child of only six years. She was clutching the hand of a girl ten years her senior with a nervous smile and darting eyes. The one following them was a full grown woman of twenty-one with a soft face and large, doe-like eyes. Unable to restrain herself any longer, Ayane threw open the front door and rushed to greet her sisters.

There was much joy in their reunion. Rio held onto Ayane so tightly, the latter thought she might squeeze the air completely out of her. Kasumi, in her excitement, forgot her manners and gave her a kiss on each cheek. Ayane was most eager, though, to see Sayuri, who had been gone from the Toyotomi clan for so long. Sayuri, too, forgot formality and drew Ayane into a tight embrace.

"Hello again, sister," she murmured.

Kasumi resumed her characteristic nervousness and began to look around the forest clearing. "Is he here, Ayane? Is your husband in today?"

For a brief moment, Ayane was confused by her sister's anxiousness until she remembered that neither Kasumi, nor Rio, nor Sayuri, had any idea of what Sesshomaru was really like. They probably still thought he was the ferocious monster of Ayane's pre-nuptial nightmares. With calm understanding, Ayane patted Kasumi's shoulder and answered, "No, Sesshomaru's away, on patrol. He won't be back until Tuesday."

With this knowledge, Kasumi visibly relaxed. Apparently, so did Rio, for once she heard this, she clapped her hands and said, "Oh boy! Now we don't have to worry!" Sayuri, on the other hand, regarded Ayane with a sombre expression.

"So, it's true, then, isn't it?" she asked. "Father married you off to a demon?"

Ayane was about to launch into the story of how this arrangement came to be, but she stopped herself. Instead, she turned on her heel and started towards the house, beckoning her kin to follow.

"Come inside, and we'll talk."

After ushering her sisters into the house, Ayane sat them down in the dining room and made a pot of tea. Over their cups, the girls first informed Ayane of matters at the Toyotomi castle.

"Things have been a lot better since your wedding," Kasumi told her honestly. "We've begun to throw parties again, and Father's much less nervous these days."

Ayane smiled. So, her marriage to Sesshomaru had worked out to her father's advantage. He had gained a higher standing with the nobles in the area, and it sounded as if he was having less financial issues than when she left.

"Yes, but we really miss you," Rio put in. "It's weird without either you or Sayuri now."

Sayuri gave a demure little smile before sipping her tea delicately. "We miss our little sisters too, but remember this, Rio. You too will be married one day. You will have to leave with your husband, but know that we will never lose touch with each other."

This seemed to satisfy Rio, and she smiled as she drank down her tea. Sayuri turned to Ayane with the same serious expression she had worn outside and said, "So, tell us of this husband of yours, Ayane. What is he like?"

The second eldest sister lowered her cup and thought for a moment. She simply wanted to drag Sayuri into another room and tell her every little secret that she kept, but she held her tongue. Instead, Ayane began, "Well, he's not like any demon I've ever heard of. He looks very much like a human, except for his ears, claws, and markings-"

"He's really handsome," Rio jumped in, "even for a demon. Ayane kept gawking at him during the wedding."

Sayuri and Kasumi laughed, but Ayane's face seared. Eager to dispel talk of her embarrassing wedding day, she continued, "I thought he was going to kill me or eat me before the wedding, but as soon as we were married, he left me alone."

Her three sisters eyed her. "Really?" asked Kasumi.

"Really. In fact, he's been quite helpful these past few weeks. I twisted my ankle when went for a walk last week, and he's been taking care of me since."

Rio smiled dreamily. "How romantic."

The child's words conjured the somewhat unwanted, yet much desired image of Sesshomaru sitting before Ayane last night, eyes closed, shirt opened, and lips parted. How romantic, indeed. A sharp ache shot through Ayane's body, and she choked on her tea.

"Well," she muttered, patting the corners of her mouth, "needless to say, I'm being treated very well here. Sesshomaru's been a good husband, and I a good wife."

When all the tea had been drunk, Ayane set to work clearing the cups from the table, when Sayuri stood up.

"Let me help you, Ayane," she offered. Before her sister could protest, Sayuri picked up hers and Rio's cup before telling the two youngest girls, "Why don't you go explore the atrium, girls? Ayane and I will catch up to you after we're done the dishes."

Nodding, Kasumi and Rio left the dining room and headed from the atrium. As soon as they were gone, Sayuri set her cups down and approached Ayane. She sat herself down on the place nearest to Ayane's seat before saying, "Sit, sister. I want to ask you something."

Confused and uncertain, Ayane set down her dishes and lowered herself back down to the floor. Sayuri looked serious and mildly curious, her big brown eyes searching the depths of Ayane's face.

"What is it, Sayuri?"

The eldest sister leaned slightly inward, towards her sister, and murmured, "I did not want to ask you this in front of Kasumi and Rio, but I want to know why you're husband is not here."

"I told you," Ayane said. "He is patrolling the Western Lands." Blushing, the younger girl added, "I know it isn't polite to be absent when guests are expected, but he invited you here to see me, not him."

Sayuri shook her head. "That's not what concerns me, Ayane. I'm simply surprised that he's left you all alone here. It cannot be a happy existence, running this house by yourself until he returns."

Ayane glanced around the dining room pensively. "In the beginning, I had a hard time with it," she admitted. "But, we cleared the problem up quickly. When Sesshomaru leaves, he is always back by nightfall, and when he is gone for a long time, his mother keeps my company."

The eldest sister's brow furrowed. "Back by nightfall? Are the Western Lands so small?"

"No, no." Ayane shook her head. "Sometimes he goes off on his own. During those times, he's always back home before the sun sets."

Sayuri's eyes widened, and her eyebrows pulled tightly together. The expression was alarming, especially since Ayane knew her sister only wore that face when she thought something was seriously wrong.

"Ayane." The eldest girl grasped the younger's hands. "Forgive me for such an improper question, but I must know- Have you and Sesshomaru... erm..." Her fair skin flushed a brilliant red. "... performed the- er- marriage act?"

That was an unfamiliar term. Ayane thought for a moment, wondering what Sayuri could possibly mean, when the definition finally came upon her. She gasped aloud, both at the audacity of the question and the thought of the act itself. For a brief moment, she imagined herself bare naked, on her back, spreading her legs for her husband. The thought made her stomach flip, and her cheeks were set aflame.

With a tinge of embarrassment in her voice, Ayane managed to squeak, "No. No, we haven't."

Sayuri's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I won't lie, sister. That is... most unusual..."

The room was suffocating. Ayane wanted nothing more than to get out. "Yes, I know..." She sighed. "But, remember, Sayuri, he is a demon. I am a human... Such a union was never meant to be."

"Regardless," Sayuri remarked, a note of anger evident in her voice, "Sesshomaru should at least respect the conventions of marriage."

Ayane looked at her sister and frowned. "Sayuri...?"

A sigh escaped the eldest sister's lips. She released Ayane's hands and placed one of her own on her younger sibling's shoulder. The concern in her eyes made Ayane want to avert her gaze.

"Ayane, your husband wanders off alone, sometimes for days on end, returns to you by night, and has not consummated your marriage yet." Sayuri frowned. "Dear sister, aren't you suspicious that he might have a paramour?"

Her words knocked the wind out of Ayane, and it was a struggle to regain breath. Before she could stop it, her heart fell from its place in her chest and settled somewhere beneath the tatami mats. Ayane had never considered the possibility of Sesshomaru carrying out an affair behind her back. He always seemed too cool and distant to be capable of any sort of romantic affection.

Yet, Sayuri had a strong argument. Why else would Sesshomaru leave without telling her where he was going? Was he visiting another woman? A terrible thought seized the poor girl: Was he returning from his lover the night his wife kissed him?

"Ayane? Gods above, you're tearing up!" Sayuri leaned towards her sister and studied her face. "Ayane, are you all right? Talk to me, dear."

The time for hiding was over. Without a shred of shame, Ayane burst into tears and clutched her sister, sobbing into her shoulder.

"Would he really do that, Sayuri?" she wondered aloud. "Would Sesshomaru hurt me so?"

Sayuri embraced her sister tightly and smoothed her hair, shushing her gently. "So," she murmured softly, "you really are in love with this demon, aren't you? You would not be so upset over this possibility if you weren't..."

There. The truth was out. Ayane had tried to avoid thinking about it, but Sayuri's assumptions were correct. She loved Sesshomaru. She loved him so much so that the thought of "another woman" pained her like nothing she had ever felt before.

"Oh, Sayuri, I must tell you what's happened..."

In a nutshell, Ayane explained how she and Sesshomaru had been distant with each other at first, but slowly grew closer as time went on. She recounted the exhilaration she felt when he touched her face, and her great annoyance when he wore his _kosode _to bed, or when he refused to display any emotion. Above all, though, she told Sayuri what happened between them last night. Like a good sister, Sayuri listened and did not speak before Ayane was done her story.

"Ah, sister, Benzaiten has graced you with love for another," she said, "but She seems to have denied you luck."

Ayane frowned, feeling her faith in her goddess of choice waver slightly, but she countered Sayuri's remark with, "Benzaiten must have a reason for doing this."

Sayuri gazed at the ceiling, as if searching for the goddess in the rafters. "Yes, I am sure She does. Maybe, this is a sign from Her."

The eldest Toyotomi girl glanced back at her sister. "Perhaps She is urging you to discover the truth." Her expression darkened. "Ask Sesshomaru where he is going next time. If he does not give you a straight answer, follow him or have him followed." When she saw her sister's stricken expression, Sayuri sighed and said, "I know the suggestion is audacious, Ayane, but you deserve to know the truth."

Filled with trepidation at the thought of stalking her own spouse, Ayane heard herself asking, "And what if I do not want to know the truth?"

Sayuri's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then you condemn yourself to play the fool for life."


	10. Chapter X

**Hey, guys. So, there's really no excuse for how late this chapter is, but I _would_ like to thank Gesshoku2 for pm-ing me and giving me the motivation to continue this story :) Anyway, here's the long-denied chapter. Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter X<strong>

Two days after her visit with her sisters, Ayane's husband returned home. The sun was high in the late morning sky, and Ayane was sweeping the veranda when she saw him emerge from the woods.

As he approached the house, Ayane stopped sweeping and watched him. A horrible creature that had suddenly been born within her began to gnaw at her stomach. One thousand questions swam in her head, but Sesshomaru's gaze obliterated them all when his eyes finally fell upon her.

Ayane was expecting a cool hello and then to be left alone. Instead, she received the ghost of a perplexed scowl.

"Are you feeling well?" Sesshomaru asked. His voice was light, but his eyes danced with genuine curiosity. "You look pale."

Two sleepless nights had left their cruel, noticeable marks upon her. Swallowing, Ayane let her gaze fall to the deck. "No, I-I'm fine," she muttered. A moment of silence passed before she added lamely, "Welcome home."

Sesshomaru still did not move. "I expect everything went well with your sisters?"

Sayuri's narrowed eyes and taut frown flashed in Ayane's mind. Accompanying the image were the harsh words that had haunted her for the past forty-eight hours: _Then you condemn yourself to play the fool for life._

With a mental shake, Ayane raised her head and said with as much conviction as she could, "Yes, we had a wonderful visit. Thank you, Sesshomaru."

Her husband still wore a small scowl. _I don't believe you, _it said. For a brief moment, Ayane wanted to throw down her broom, along with the ridiculous facade she was putting up, and demand the truth; however, Sesshomaru spoke before she could do anything suspicious or destructive.

"I'm not going to be here for much longer. I have another errand to run today, but I'll return before nightfall."

Ayane almost doubled over, feeling as if someone had just kicked her in the stomach. Fighting a rising wave of nausea, she asked as casually as she could, "You're leaving so soon?"

"Yes."

"But you just got home."

Sesshomaru gave her a stern look. "I know. But, my duties are not finished yet."

What was the point of fighting with him? Ayane returned to her sweeping, indulging in the great wave of resignation that had washed over her. Refusing to look at him, she murmured, "All right. There are clean clothes for you inside, on the bed."

Ayane was grateful that he did not linger for too long before disappearing into the house or he might have seen her eyes fill with tears. Planting her broom firmly against the wooden porch, she wiped her eyes and sniffed away her sadness, desperate to maintain her self control.

_Crying over a demon..._

What had love turned her into?

The front door slid open a moment later, and Sesshomaru emerged onto the veranda in his newly cleaned clothes. He turned to Ayane, who had stopped her chores, and said, "I'm leaving now. Be good while I'm gone."

_'Be good'? _Ayane wanted to throw her broom at him. Who was he to tell her to be good when he was on his way to meet with his mistress behind her back? Anger scorched her cheeks, but she forced herself to smile nonetheless. "I will. Goodbye, Sesshomaru."

She turned her back on him and resumed sweeping. Ayane could feel him standing there, his gaze upon her, as if he meant to ask a parting question. When her ears were met with silence, she turned around. Sesshomaru was already half-way across the lawn, striding back into the forest.

The young woman wanted to call out to him, beckon him back, but she held her tongue. She watched him disappear into the green thicket as her throat burned. Once she was sure he was gone, Ayane let her broom fall, sat down on the stoop, and wept into her hands.

Late morning faded into afternoon, and eventually, the sun threatened to bring forth early twilight. All the while, Ayane cried and contemplated what she was going to do about her situation. Her older sister's advice rang in her ears, and Ayane's resolve not to trail after Sesshomaru was slowly disintegrating. Finally, after hours of fighting with herself, the exhausted and defeated girl relented. Wiping her tears away, she picked herself up off the deck, descended the stairs, and headed for the stables at the back of the house.

One of Ayane's tasks around the house was to feed the beasts of burden that Sesshomaru kept stabled in the backyard. Ayane had been expecting to find donkeys and mules the first time she was charged to feed them, but she had been met with a frightful shock: An enormous, two-headed, dragon-like demon replaced her expectations of common pack animals. She had been terrified of the demon at first, but eventually, she learned that the beast, Ah-Un, was a docile herbivore that she could trust.

After coaxing the beast from the stable, Ayane struggled with the animal's tack. The double bridle was hard to fit over Ah-Un's two heads, which kept glancing in every direction. Was this a game it played to avoid wearing the bridle? Sighing, Ayane dropped the headgear on the grass and looked the demon in the eyes.

"Come on, Ah-Un, this is serious," she pleaded. "I need your help. My marriage depends on my riding you."

The two heads looked at each other, as if they had understood her perfectly. Finally, Ah-Un lowered its two heads and let Ayane fashion the bridle around them.

With a grateful pat, Ayane made haste throwing the saddle over Ah-Un's back. Once the girth was securely buckled, she heaved herself up onto the demon and grabbed the reins.

Ah-Un was tall. Much taller than Ayane had first assessed. Fighting off her apprehension and crippling fear of heights, the young lady leaned forward and told her mount, "Take me to Sesshomaru."

With a nod and a low grunt, Ah-Un took off into the sky as Ayane gripped the reins and saddle for dear life.

The demon flew through the sky for a good half an hour, chasing the setting sun, before it finally began to descend. Daring a look down, Ayane saw that Ah-Un intended to drop her off on the outskirts of a small village situated in a broad valley. Once landed in a heavily wooded area, Ayane let the reins fall slack as she jumped from her steed.

"Thank you, Ah-Un," she said, turning to the demon. "Wait here, now. I don't think I'll be very long."

The beast gave an acknowledging grunt and lowered its two heads, and Ayane left it grazing.

The village was quaint, dotted with wooden huts, vegetable gardens, and oak trees. A crystal blue brook cut through the settlement and led towards a well-kept shrine. The voices of laughing children, scolding mothers, and greeting neighbours permeated the air. It seemed to be a pleasant place, but as she made her way through the streets, Ayane began to feel very uncomfortable- The villagers were all staring at her.

She should have expected the strange looks, being the outsider that she was, but she was afraid of being found out nonetheless- What if someone close to her husband recognized her and ran to tell Sesshomaru?

Ayane wandered aimlessly, speaking to no one and scanning the streets for any sign of her missing husband. Finally, after her feet cried uncle, Ayane meandered off the road and leaned against the wall of someone's wooden hut. The village seemed tiny enough, but Seesshomaru was nowhere to be found. She considered asking the locals if they had seen a golden-eyed demon with white hair when she caught a snippet of conversation off the street.

"Thank you so much, Lord Sesshomaru!"

Catching her breath, Ayane instinctively pressed herself against the wall and peeked around the corner.

Sesshomaru was there all right, and he was in the company of a female, but not the type Ayane had imagined.

This human girl looked but ten or eleven years of age. One lock of raven black hair was tied up in a messy ponytail, and she was dressed in an expensive-looking purple kimono. Sesshomaru walked behind her, keeping a watchful eye on the child as they made their way down the street.

"These berries are my favorite!" she piped up.

Ayane finally took notice of the basket of purple and blue fruit in the girl's hands. She shifted its weight carefully and popped a berry in her mouth, smiling all the while.

"Don't eat too many, Rin," Sesshomaru warned her patiently, "or you'll get sick."

The girl, Rin, nodded as she made a left on the road and headed straight for the house that Ayane was hiding behind. The breathless young woman stepped away from the corner and rested her forehead against the wall. Her heart beat so loudly that she was afraid Sesshomaru and Rin would hear. For the second time today, Ayane's throat constricted painfully, and her eyes threatened tears while her heart threatened self-harm. She had been wrong. Sesshomaru wasn't hiding a mistress from her. He was hiding his-

"Um, excuse me? Can I help you?"

Ayane whirled around. A young woman, barely younger than Ayane herself, with long black hair, brown eyes, and a miko's garb stared at her incredulously. Unable to repress her surprise, Ayane let fly a scream. She made a move to distance herself from the shrine maiden, but her foot hit an upturned rock, and she stumbled backwards. Ayane was on her back, seeing stars, before she realized that she had fallen over.

"Whoa! Are you okay?" cried the young woman.

"Kagome? What's going on out there?" A gruff, faceless voice sounded from beyond Ayane's field of vision.

A pair of hands pulled Ayane up into a sitting position. Wincing, she pressed her palm against the back of her head, favoring what felt like a fresh bruise. The maiden named Kagome was beside her, helping her sit up.

"You okay?" she asked worriedly.

"What the-? Who the hell's this?"

Ayane raised her eyes and almost gasped aloud. The entity before her was clothed in a red _hakama, _and a long, beaten-up katana hung from his belt. His appearance was that of a normal young man, except for the fact that two pointed dog ears protruded from his mane of white hair. His face- and the indignant expression he wore- was boyish, but his eyes were a startlingly familiar golden colour...

The woman beside Ayane scowled. "Inuyasha, don't be so rude- She may have hurt herself."

"Inuyasha?"Ayane repeated.

The dog-eared young man raised his chin and crossed his arms. "Yeah? Who's asking?"

If this situation had not been so stressful or embarrassing, Ayane would have taken great delight in meeting her husband's half-brother. Unfortunately, desperation trumped her incredulity, and she found herself staggering to her feet with Kagome's help.

"Pleased to meet you, Inuyasha. M-My name is Ayane Toyotomi- Or, rather, it _used_ to be..." she said breathlessly. "I'm looking for my husband."

Inuyasha's eyebrows drew together. "And?"

Ayane stared at him. "And... I was hoping you could direct me to him."

"Look, lady, I don't know who your husband is, so I wouldn't be much-"

It was Ayane's turn to shoot him a confused look. "But of course you do... He's your brother..."

The look on Inuyasha's face, and the gasp from Kagome, filled Ayane with cold despair. Was her own brother-in-law unaware of her existence?

"You... You're married to Sesshomaru?" Kagome asked, gazing at Ayane with eyes as round as full moons.

"Don't be ridiculous," Inuyasha said flippantly, narrowing his eyes at Ayane. "This girl's human- Sesshomaru would never take a human mate."

The sickening feeling of betrayal began to sink in. Had Sesshomaru not mentioned his wife to his own brother? Told him that he _did_, in fact, marry a mortal? Judging by Inuyasha's disbelieving tone, Ayane guessed that Sesshomaru pretended that she did not even exist. Angry tears began to burn her eyes.

"Hey, look! It's a lady!" cried a familiar, girlish voice.

Blood running cold, Ayane raised her head to see that Rin girl, standing by the house, watching her curiously. Behind her, Sesshomaru locked his penetrating gaze with Ayane's. His eyes were dangerously cold, like the threat of frostbite in the middle of winter, and although the rest of his face betrayed no emotion, Ayane guessed that he was furious. Despite her best efforts to meet his gaze and stand her ground, she could not help quivering with fear.

She was in trouble.


	11. Chapter XI

**Hey guys, here's the long-awaited chapter! I really hope Sesshomaru doesn't act too OOC in this one... Please tell me what you guys think, because this chapter was so hard to write! xD Well, here goes nothing... Enjoy! :B**

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><p><strong>Chapter XI<strong>

Ayane burst through the front door and marched inside, Sesshomaru trailing after her. After putting Ah-Un away in the stable, Ayane made it her mission to get away from her husband as quickly as possible. As far as he was concerned, though, she had no right to act like a spoiled child this time, not when she blatantly disrespected him and caused an embarrassing scene in Kaede's village.

Ayane came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the antechamber and whirled around. The menacing gleam of anger in her eyes was as foreign to Sesshomaru as the harsh frown that twisted her full lips.

"I cannot believe you did this to me," she snarled.

Sesshomaru did not flinch under her fury, but he did narrow his eyes. "You are the one who is at fault, Ayane."

Rage twisted the young woman's face, and, for a moment, Sesshomaru thought she would literally explode.

"I'm at fault?" she repeated, and then again, "_I'm at fault?_"

The floorboards yelped as Ayane stomped towards her husband, raising an accusing finger at him. Sesshomaru threw traditional manners aside and glared straight into her eyes, daring her to defy him.

"You have no right to blame me for this." Ayane stopped mere inches from him. To Sesshomaru's surprise, she met his gaze head on, glowering at him with primal ferocity. She was done with respect just as much as he was.

"You have _no right_," Ayane said again. "How dare you keep that girl a secret from me! Who is she? Is she your daughter? Who is the mother? I swear, Sesshomaru, if you've betrayed me-"

"Ayane, that's enough," Sesshomaru interrupted coldly. "Rin is an orphan that I took in long before I met you. She has no mother, and she is not related to me by blood. Don't accuse me of something that I did not do."

Sesshomaru had hoped that knowing Rin was not the product of an affair would calm the storm brewing in his wife's eyes. Apparently, he was wrong.

"Why did you keep her a secret? Why didn't you simply tell me you were going to visit her village? Furthermore, why didn't you tell anybody- even your damn _brother_- that you have a wife? Are you so ashamed of me?"

She was asking too many questions at once. Sesshomaru remained silent, trying to single out her demands one by one when he realized with a dull sort of horror that Ayane's eyes were filling with tears.

"Ever since I've been here you've treated me so unkindly. You leave me here all alone for days on end to fend for myself, and you don't even tell me where you're going! And when you do come home, you push me away-"

"You should hear yourself," Sesshomaru growled, her words igniting his temper. "You accuse me of being distant, but you are the one who would rather confide in your sisters than your own husband."

"_You don't deserve my confidence!_" Ayane shrieked.

Tension crackled in the air as tears slipped from Ayane's glistening eyes. Sesshomaru started at her, careful not to let any anger or hurt show through on his countenance.

"You don't confide in _me_, Sesshomaru," Ayane said. The angry flames in her eyes began to burn away to sorrowful ashes. "You couldn't even share your brother's name with me... How do you expect me to come to you when you obviously hold me in such low regard?"

Something began to eat away at Sesshomaru's stomach, and despite his best efforts to ignore it, the feeling still made him sick. Ayane turned her face from him and wiped her tears away.

"It's hard for one to take so much," she murmured, "from the person that one is in love with."

Silence infected the room like poisonous miasma. Without a word of parting, Ayane turned on her heel and strode off towards the bedroom, leaving a silently stunned Sesshomaru in her wake.

The dog demon remained in the silent antechamber for what seemed like hours. He did not even bother to remove his boots as he contemplated what had just occurred.

Ayane was wrong. The reason he kept his marriage a secret was not because he was "ashamed", per se. He knew that if he had introduced Ayane to Rin, that meant that he would have to have her meet Kaede, Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku as well. Those people were a part of _his _life, not Ayane's. He had assumed that keeping his wife away from them meant that he would be able to retain some of the independence that he heard marriage was notorious for killing.

But, was there really so much to complain about? Ayane let him travel across half the country on his own without so much of a disapproving peep. She would usually keep her distance if asked, and she never gave him orders.

With a bitter taste in his mouth, Sesshomaru realized that he still was, indeed, independent; however, his and Ayane's lives were joined now, and it would not do for him to shut her out completely.

Coming to terms with what he had to do, Sesshomaru pushed his injured pride aside, and set to work on removing his boots before softly padding towards the bedroom.

Ayane, already changed into her _yukata_, was curled up on the futon, sobbing into a pillow. She did not look up as her husband entered the room. Sesshomaru dropped his weapons, removed his kimono, and very hesitantly discarded his _kosode_. Ayane still did not move.

As silent as a church mouse, Sesshomaru slipped beneath the covers and rolled on his side. He waited for Ayane to face him, but she only presented her back to him, her shoulders quivering with repressed sobs.

A thought crossed Sesshomaru's mind, and, to his alarm, the idea did not repulse or disturb him as much as he thought it might. Deciding to act upon it, he scooted closer to Ayane and slowly twined his arms around her torso, grazing the undersides of her breasts with his forearms. Her breath caught noticeably as he pressed himself up against her back and rested his chin atop her head.

Now came the hard part. Sesshomaru told himself it was a necessary part of marriage and quite possibly the only way to quell the rising wave of guilt within him. After a moment of mentally preparing himself, he finally spoke two soft words to her.

"I'm sorry."

That wasn't so hard. He pushed himself to elaborate.

"I was wrong to treat you so. I should have introduced you to Rin, and I shouldn't have been so secretive."

Sesshomaru meant the apology, but it was missing something, a closing question that might prompt her to respond. Could he ask something that he had never asked anyone before? Working his mouth, he uttered the final phrase that felt completely foreign yet oddly liberating.

"Will you forgive me, Ayane?"

The muffled sobs came to a halt. Shifting in his arms, Ayane rolled over and faced Sesshomaru. Her face was blotchy, wet, and close, yet she still looked as pretty as ever. The demon holding her raised a hand and gently swiped the tears from her cheeks.

The young woman, a breath away from her husband, stared at him incredulously. Sesshomaru returned her doe-like gaze with a nonplussed expression, but he did not unwind his arms from her body as he waited for an answer. In fact, maintaining his stoic demeanour proved to be quite difficult: Her supple breasts, taught stomach, and long legs tantalized and teased him so long as they remained pressed to him. Although the temptation to give in was powerful, he tried to fight off the imminent male reaction to such intimacy for as long as he could. The last thing he needed was to shatter this fragile atmosphere by embarrassing them both with an impromptu erection.

After a moment of silence, Ayane finally dropped her gaze to his broad chest and raised her eyebrows.

"You... You took off your _kosode,_" she breathed.

That was not the response Sesshomaru was expecting. Did this mean that he was forgiven?

As if in a trance, Ayane began to trace patterns with the tips of her fingers over the demon's skin, her eyes riveted on his bare chest, as if it were the world's rarest sight. Sesshomaru let his eyes close, allowing himself to enjoy the feeling. He let his mind wander, forgot himself and began to conjure fantasies. His resistance eventually gave way, his body reacting freely to Ayane's touch and her proximity. She inhaled softly when she noticed his member pressing against her leg. Sesshomaru opened his eyes to see her gazing at him again, eyes glazed over and blush colouring her cheeks.

"Oh..." was all she said.

It was such a simple, monosyllabic word, yet somehow it shattered the last of Sesshomaru's self control and scattered the pieces to the wind. He had resisted this human girl for far too long. Discarding his careful conduct in favour of wild abandon, Sesshomaru made quick work of bridging the slight gap between them with a passionate kiss.

Unlike the first time they had kissed, Sesshomaru did not take his time teasing her lips and politely waiting until she opened her mouth for a deeper kiss. Instead, he claimed her lips hungrily, plundered her mouth with his tongue, and crushed her against him. How he wanted her... How badly he needed to show her that the feelings she held for him were not unrequited...

Ayane, still very new to kissing, did not know what to do. She lay there, wrapped in her husband's arms, worrying about what she should be doing, how she should be reacting, and wondering whether she should still be angry or not. Eventually, it dawned on her that this was what she had been waiting for, what she had been secretly praying Sesshomaru would eventually do. With a small moan, Ayane squirmed closer to her husband, pushing herself into him, no longer fearing what she felt or how he was acting. She wanted this. She wanted him.

Reacting quickly to her cues, Sesshomaru swiftly and adeptly moved her beneath him, supporting himself on his elbows, and drew away to study her face.

She was flushed, and her eyes were still slightly bloodshot from crying, but her lips were beginning to swell into an alluring pout. Slowly, a smile began to spread across her face, and in spite of himself, Sesshomaru felt the corners of his mouth twitch ever so slightly.

Ayane freed her hand from the tangled sheets and brushed her husband's bangs from his forehead. Her fingers danced along his brow, tracing the outline of the blue crescent upon his skin. Her voice was thick when she finally addressed him, as if she were talking in her sleep.

"Sesshomaru."

"Yes?"

She smiled. "I forgive you."

A half-formed grin, small as it was, was now evident on Sesshomaru's face. With a soft, primal growl churning in his throat, he dipped his head towards her for another kiss.

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><p><strong>Before I forget, I'd like to say thank you to the people who are still reading, still reviewing, and being ever so patient with me and the updates. You guys are the best! x)<strong>


	12. Chapter XII

**Well, if last chapter was hard to write, this one was even harder! I have never written any sort of naughty scenes in my life, although I do read a lot of romance novels... Let's hope this turned out all right... Anyway, enjoy the smut- I mean, er, chapter! **

**Chapter XII**

The moonlight slipped in from the open window, casting half of Sesshomaru's face in brilliant light. Ayane gazed at him, marvelling at his beauty. She was jittery, nervous, yet the last thing she wanted to do was run from this. Excitement bubbled in the pit of her stomach and shot down through her.

Adjusting his arms, Sesshomaru leaned forward again and brushed his lips across her forehead.

"Only if you want, Ayane," he murmured against her skin, letting the unvoiced question hang in the air. The young woman wrapped her arms around his torso and gave him a squeeze.

"I want."

The demon drew back and studied her intensely for but a moment, as if waiting to see if she would change her mind. As usual, his face was void of emotion, but his eyes burned with desire, a need for her. Ayane blushed. No one had ever looked at her that way before. She read all intentions and promises in Sesshomaru's golden eyes, and her heart began to beat erratically.

Without a word, Sesshomaru kissed Ayane's mouth and slowly trailed his lips down her throat. She responded eagerly, keeping her arms wrapped tightly around him. As he gently sucked the delicate skin on her neck, Sesshomaru freed a hand from beneath his wife and rested it momentarily on her shoulder.

When Ayane felt his hand gliding towards the neck of her _yukata_, her whole body stiffened with anticipation. Sesshomaru calmly abandoned her kiss-ravaged neck and slipped his free hand into her bodice.

His hand was as warm as his fingers were skilled. Sesshomaru gently squeezed and massaged the breast cupped in his hand, rubbing her nipple between his thumb and forefinger. The shocking sensation pulled soft moans from Ayane's throat. She closed her eyes and succumbed to the feeling, fighting the urge to part her knees and take in her husband then and there.

Cool night air washed over Ayane's chest, raising goosebumps on her pale skin. She opened her eyes to discover that Sesshomaru had pulled open her nightdress, exposing her entire top half.

Though little emotion played over his face, Sesshomaru was impressed. Ayane was not the bustiest girl he had ever beheld, but her breasts were round and full for their size, each one bearing a small pink center that thrust upwards to meet him.

Locking his gaze with Ayane's, Sesshomaru lowered his head and lightly flicked one nipple with his tongue. Ayane gaped, hardly daring to believe that he was doing. The demon intensified his sport by sucking and gently biting. Before long, Ayane was writhing against him, feverishly murmuring his name.

Once he was finished, Sesshomaru loosened her _yukata_ further, leaving a trail of feather light kisses in his wake as he moved down her body. Ayane watched him, wondering just how far he intended to go, when she let fly a hoarse cry.

"No, Sesshomaru!"

He froze, hovering just below her hips, dangerously close to the most intimate and mysterious part of her body. A jerk of his head and a questioning glance meant he wanted an explanation. Mind fogged, Ayane could only form and articulate base thoughts.

"No there," she said, pulling her skirt down to hide herself. "Don't look."

When he only continued to stare, she admitted lamely, "I'm shy."

Sesshomaru's gaze flicked to her shielding hand and then to her face. "There isn't any reason to be shy," he offered.

He slipped her hand underneath her knee and propped her leg up. Kneading her inner thigh, he said, "If you don't like it, then I'll stop. Trust me."

_Trust me. _Ayane, raised on her elbows, gave in and fell back onto her pillow.

"All right."

The rustle of discarded silk and the slight chill that settled over her lower half announced the full removal of Ayane's clothes. For the first time in her life, she was naked in front of another person.

Before she could feel embarrassed, Sesshomaru ducked between her bent legs. His soft, wet tongue hit its mark, and Ayane sucked in her breath. Sparks of pleasure shot through her as the demon's adept tongue stroked the most sensitive part of her. Forgetting about propriety and modesty, Ayane grabbed fistfuls of his hair, twisting on the bed, crying out as she tripped over a final precipice and plunged down, down into a maelstrom of passion.

When the exquisite torture subsided, Ayane raised her head, trying to shake off the orgasm-induced dizziness. Sesshomaru was looking at her from between her legs, the smuggest of grins spreading over his face.

Ayane laughed and fell back again. "That was amazing..."

Sesshomaru rose to his knees and surveyed her for a moment. Her bust tapered down into a small waist where round hips below grew into long, foal-like legs, legs that were opened to him and him alone. The demon lord drank her in, hands resting on her raised knees, the lustful ache in his loins gathering between his legs. He made a move to remove his _sashinuki hakama_, but a small hand pushed his own away from the waistband.

"I want to do it," Ayane said.

She knelt before him, hooking her thumbs into his pants. With a deep breath, she pulled them down in one fluid motion, exhaling loudly when her eyes fell upon him. Doubtless, this was the first time she had ever seen an aroused man.

Once the _hakama _was on the floor, Sesshomaru watched as the blushing human girl tentatively touched him, running her hand along his shaft, lightly squeezing. Her eyes fixated, she bowed her head, leaning closer and closer. Sesshomaru reached to sweep her hair out of her face just as he passed through her full lips and into her welcoming mouth.

The throbbing ache for release burned the demon as the young woman moved her head slowly and uncertainly. Only once did he draw in a sharp breath.

"Watch your teeth, Ayane."

She offered a small "sorry" and continued this new practice until the muscles around her mouth begged for her to stop. She slid him from her mouth and smiled up at him. Sesshomaru returned the gesture. She was certainly not the most skilled, but in a way, she was the best he had ever had.

The sheets rustled as Sesshomaru swept Ayane up in his arms and lay her down on the bed. He could feel her heart pounding against his chest. Bracing himself on one elbow, the demon tenderly pushed her legs aside and whispered, "Take a deep breath."

Closing her eyes, Ayane did as she was told. In one moment, the world was at peace. In the next, it was full of glassy shards of pain that tore up her core and lacerated her nerves. She bit her lip to keep from screaming while a soft groan left Sesshomaru's lips.

"That hurts," Ayane moaned.

"The pain will fade in a moment," he promised, leaning over to plant a sweet kiss on her lips. Then, he began to move.

Ayane squeezed her eyes shut and wound her arms tightly around Sesshomaru's neck. The pain in her nether region was unbearable at first, but with each slow, patient stroke, the pain began to give way to pleasure. Eventually, Ayane was able to ride out faster thrusts without complaint.

Beads of sweat ran from Sesshomaru's temples. His chest shone in the moonlight. Ayane arched her back, straining to meet him as she wrapped her legs around him. Pants filled the air. Sesshomaru's tempo increased. His calm demeanour was being stripped away with each movement. His eyes gleamed, his breath came out ragged, and his jaw twitched just as he reached his end.

The blessed release came upon him like a sudden clap of thunder from a violent storm. Whatever control Sesshomaru retained was cast to its raging winds and heavy rains. With a savage cry, he pounded himself into her, grasping her hips, staring at her long and hard.

_You are mine. _

Ayane rode out each thrust, relishing in her husband's wild abandon. She held him tightly as he slowly came down from his passionate frenzy, watching as a look of void calm settled over his face once again.

Without disengaging himself, Sesshomaru held Ayane in a tight hug. In return, she softly kissed his neck and earlobes. It was done. They were one now.

The couple lay awake for hours, wrapped around each other in the tangled sheets like the roots of a tree. The night was quiet, but Ayane and Sesshomaru were not.

"I liked that," the girl commented.

"I know." Sesshomaru glanced down her body. "Are you hurt badly?"

"No, I don't think so."

Silence fell. Ayane drew patterns over her husband's skin, head resting on his chest as she said, "So, what you said was true, wasn't it? Rin is not your daughter?"

"Biologically speaking, no."

"And you weren't lying when you said you were never far from home when you went to visit her."

"No," Sesshomaru said. "I've never lied to you, Ayane. I've kept secrets, but I haven't lied."

Nodding, the young woman planted a kiss on his chest. She rolled over onto her belly and looked at her husband, her beloved Sesshomaru, who hid a heart as golden as his gaze. She spoke to him quickly, hurriedly, before she lost her nerve.

"Iluyew."

The demon furrowed his brow. "Speak slowly."

Ayane swallowed. "I love you."

Sesshomaru was silent, gazing at her without expression. He was so still that Ayane began to suspect that he would not return her words. She started to turn away, feeling disgusted and ashamed of herself, when he caught her chin and made her look at him.

"I know," he said seriously. "Me too."

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><p>Miles away from where the lovers lay, the wheels of fate were turning. The demon that Sesshomaru had killed a few days ago, a hulking mass of fur, tusks, horns, and claws, decayed under the starry sky. Beside the rotting beast, another <em>oni <em>analysed the area.

The struggle had been brief yet fierce. Footprints in the dirt indicated the path of a human-like creature. The deep, clawed prints of the oni-that-no-longer-was spoke of a lunging attack. A patch of crushed grass and the scent of blood? The biped had been hurt. And yet, the living oni noted, her offspring now lay dead.

Keening with grief, the female sniffed the disturbed grass again. Despite the evidence of a human presence, the blood of her young's killer did not smell human. There was a strange odour to it, a certain tang. It was the blood of a demon. Dog, to be exact.

The scent stretched out into a trail. Chances were the trail was false, misleading, but the grieving oni would follow anyway. No matter how long it took, she would find the murdering cur and see that her offspring's killer would suffer.

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><p><strong>Thanks for reading, and as always, I'd like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers as well :) You guys keep me going! <strong>


	13. Chapter XIII

**Hey, guys! School's been eating up my life, but I found some time to provide the next chapter- So, here it is! Enjoy!**

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><p><strong>Chapter XIII<strong>

When Ayane awoke, she was sore. Moaning, she rolled onto her side and pressed her knees together. That hurt more. She sighed and lay as still as she could, wondering if it was going to be like this every time.

Then, the young woman smiled. Surely, there would be other times. Yes, many, many times. Times that will only stand to improve from last night.

The thought of last night made Ayane ache in a much more pleasant way. Smile growing wider, she shifted her weight again and rolled over to see her husband lying fast asleep beside her. One arm thrown over his eyes, he snored lightly through a parted mouth. Ayane promptly leaned over and kissed his bottom lip.

Sesshomaru's eyes flew open, and Ayane met his half surprised gaze with a laugh. In return, he offered her a small but content smile.

"Good morning," she chirped. "Did you sleep well?"

Sesshomaru reached up and brushed a stand of black hair from her eyes. "Yes. Did you?"

Ayane nodded and asked, "Do you want some breakfast?"

"You know I can't eat human food, Ayane," the dog demon reminded her, furrowing his brow.

The young woman shrugged and planted a small kiss on his forehead.

"I know. I just thought it'd be polite to ask."

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><p>For the next two weeks, Sesshomaru's house was finally enjoyed the blessing of marital bliss. The dog demon put off his duties for just a little while, choosing his wife over his job for once. Ayane happily ran the household and kept her husband company day and night. One night, the couple invited Sesshomaru's mother, Rin, and even Jaken to dinner. Though the three demons did not touch a thing, Rin complimented Ayane's cooking and made her beam ("A far cry from that bento box I made you once, right, Sesshomaru?" she had asked).<p>

Evenings were taken up by ardent love-making, much to Ayane's pleasure. After the first few times, the glassy pain that the once-virginal girl experienced finally faded to nothing. Now Ayane could enjoy herself completely without having to brace herself.

Sesshomaru, for his part, was a most generous lover. He never left his young wife unsatisfied, and most often did so before he allowed himself release. Though she had been taught to be modest and chaste, her husband's love-making was turning Ayane wanton.

"I have no shame," she admitted once, clearly embarrassed, after a lewd rendez-vous on the grass by the koi pond.

To this, Sesshomaru replied, "There is no concept of sexual 'shame' in a demon's world."

"I am not a demon."

He had held her chin and gazed into her face solemnly. "But, you are mine."

The last night before Sesshomaru had to depart on another patrol through his land was imbued passion. Immediately after dinner, he had whisked Ayane into the bedroom and made doubly sure that she would remember him when he was gone.

Lying on the blanket-less futon, panting, drenched in sweat, Ayane fought back the sickening sense of longing that was already eating away at her. Knowing he would not be there when she woke up, the young woman threw her arms around him, held him close, and whispered words of love to him. In her mind, she silently thanked Benzaiten for all that She had bestowed upon her. Life as a married woman had indeed taken a turn for the best.

Cradled in Sesshomaru's arms, Ayane lay on her back as she fell fast asleep. Normally, she would sleep on her belly, but these days, lying on her breasts hurt too much for her usual sleeping position.

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><p>The next morning, Ayane was sick. She had expected to wake up slowly, enjoy the warmth of her bed, and then quietly get dressed when she felt like it. No, instead, she found herself stumbling outside, half awake and half dressed, where she fell onto her hands and knees and vomited in a nearby bush.<p>

Groaning loudly, the young woman straightened and sat back on her folded legs. The forest was spinning. She needed to lie down. Rising to her feet- hissing sharply when the movement made her back ache- she dragged herself inside.

Once comfortably resting on the bed, Ayane stared at the ceiling and tried to will herself back to health. Everything hurt: Her stomach, her back, her breasts, her head. She raised a hand and felt her forehead. No fever.

She sighed heavily. It was probably the foreshadowing of her monthly curse. After all, it had been four weeks since she...

Ayane stared. _Wait..._

The young woman began to wrack her brains. _When last did I bleed? It was four weeks ago, wasn't it? No, no, it was five... Was it five? Oh dear, I can't remember..._

She lay on the bed, trying to remember, trying to count. Finally, after recounting no less than ten times, she concluded that her curse was, indeed, a week late. None too long afterwards, she began to panic. Pacing back and forth through her room, Ayane fretted and wished desperately for a mother's advice. Unfortunately, disease had taken her own mother six years ago. There was no other option: She had to speak with Sesshomaru's mother.

The young woman had just begun searching through her messy room for the warning red flag when there was a knock at the front door. Wishing that by some miracle it was her mother-in-law or her husband, Ayane ran to the antechamber and threw back the door.

Neither Sesshomaru nor his mother stood on the other side. Instead, a frail old woman dressed in bedraggled clothes leaned on a walking stick before Ayane.

"Please," came a hoarse little voice from within the shadow of a dirty headscarf. "Please, milady, is the master of the house in?"

Ayane furrowed her brow. "No, but I may answer for him. Are you all right, old woman?"

The stranger was silent for a moment before asking, "Are you the master's wife?"

With a strange burst of pride, Ayane drew herself up in spite of her aching back and said, "I am Lady Ayane of the Western Lands. I am married to the daimyo of this region."

The senior let out a feeble cough. "Please, Lady Ayane. My village was attacked by a demon, and I have been wandering for days without proper food or water. Please, will you help me?"

This was the last thing Ayane needed in a time like this, yet pity for the old woman flooded her heart.

"Of course," she relented. "Come in. I will fix you some food."

Within half an hour, Ayane was sitting across from the old peasant, pouring tea for the both of them.

"You said you were the daimyo's wife," the guest said. "Tell me, who is he?"

Ayane found it strange that the peasant was still wearing her head scarf. She could not even see her eyes; however, she brushed it off and answered, "My husband is Lord Sesshomaru."

"Ah, the son of the great Inu no Taisho, correct?"

With a wistful sigh, Ayane murmured, "Yes. That's him."

The old woman sat soundly in her seat, but she neither touched her food nor her tea. Instead, she pressed her hostess further.

"You must love him very much."

That was an awfully personal assumption, not something a lowly peasant should be asking a lady. To make a point, Ayane said tersely, "Yes, I do."

"And does he love you?"

Ayane narrowed her eyes at the rude old bat. She did not have to deal with these inappropriate questions, not when she had more important matters to tend to. She caressed her lower abdomen and felt a rush of adrenaline course through her veins. Scoffing, she rose to her feet.

"If you must know, the answer is also yes. Sesshomaru loves me more than I believe he's ever loved anyone else. I am his heart, as he is mine, and the bond we share is founded on mutual trust and devotion. Is that what you wanted to hear, old woman?" She turned her back on the prying peasant. "Take my food and be on your way. You abuse my hospitality."

A laugh sounded behind Ayane, but the noise did not sound like it belonged to a frail elderly woman. It was deep, resonant, and as disturbingly demonic as the voice that followed.

"Very good, little princess. You've told me all that I need to know."

Ayane's blood ran cold. Panic seizing her, she whipped around and stumbled back into the wall. A hulking, blurry shadow leapt for her, and a terrible scream left her throat...

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><p>Sesshomaru had been making his way through the forest at a leisurely pace when he stopped dead in his tracks. Ignoring Jaken's questions, he inclined his head to the sky and drew in a breath through his nose.<p>

There was a stench in the air. A demon had been here, and it had been here recently.

"What is it, milord?" Jaken piped up again.

The hairs on the back of Sesshomaru's neck rose. His skin prickled. An uneasy feeling began to gnaw at his gut. Something was wrong.

Without externally betraying any worrisome emotions, the dog demon smelled the air again. The demon odour stretched into a trail that led back the way he had come.

Back to his house.

_Ayane._

Without a word, Sesshomaru turned on his heel and took off into the forest, heading back home as quickly as he could. Whatever this monster was, whatever motivated it, he could not let it reach his vulnerable wife. He would not allow it. He did not even think about what would happen if he did not reach her in time. He simply ran faster.

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><p><strong>Dun, dun, DUUUUNNNN! Haha, thanks for reading, guys. And, as always, thank you for being patient. I know the chapters come slowly, but I promise they will always come :)<strong>


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